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SWITCH-Asia Network Facility is funded by the European Union.

This booklet is prepared by Consumers International in collaboration with and under the supervision of the SWITCH-Asia Network Facility.

SWITCH-Asia Network Facility is implemented by UNEP/Wuppertal Institute Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production and Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy.

part 2 | the solutions

what are the opportunities?

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3 MainstreaMing sustainable ConsuMption in asia

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publisher: SWITCH-AsiaNetworkFacility UNEP/WuppertalInstituteCollaborating CentreonSustainableConsumptionandProduction(CSCP) HagenauerStraße30|42107Wuppertal|Germany Phone|+49.202.45958.10 Fax|+49.202.45958.31 www.switch-asia.eu network.facility@scp-centre.org

authors: ArlenedeVeraandAnniMitin(ConsumersInternational,OfficeforAsia-PacificandtheMiddleEast) BurcuTunçer(ProjectManager,SWITCH-AsiaNetworkFacility)

supervision and guidanCe: FransVerspeek(TeamLeader,SWITCH-AsiaNetworkFacility)expert review: Wewouldliketoexpressoursincereappreciationfortheconstructivecommentsgivenbytheexpertreviewers: LewisAkenji,InstituteforGlobalEnvironmentalStrategies;CarolinBaedeker,WuppertalInstituteforClimate, Environment,Energy;CherylHicksandNoraBrüggeman,UNEP/WuppertalInstituteCollaboratingCentreon SustainableConsumptionandProduction;RajanGandhi,SocietyinActionGroup;BjarnePedersen,Consumers International;Muralidharan.T,Hivos;ChristianTetzel,ECEuropeAidDevelopmentandCooperationDirectorate-General

editor: AlisonEades,ArchwayCommunications

design: ElmarSander,www.elmarsander.de

printer: UniquePress

Copyright: TheSWITCH-AsiaNetworkFacility

ThispublicationhasbeenproducedfortheSWITCH-AsiaProgrammeandtheEuropeanUnion.ThecontentsofthispublicationarethesoleresponsibilityoftheUNEP/WuppertalInstituteCollaboratingCentreonSustainableConsumptionandProduction(CSCP)andcaninnowaybetakentoreflecttheviewsoftheEuropeanUnion.

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about this booklet

ThisbookletdiscussessustainableconsumptionfromtheperspectiveoftheSWITCH-Asiaprogramme.Itaims:• toprovideanoverviewofsustainableconsumption challengesinAsia;• presentssolutionsandopportunitiestoaddress sustainableconsumptionchallengesintheregionand providesexamplesofhowtoovercomethechallenges;• couldbeasourceofinspirationforpolicy-makersand projectdevelopersinEuropeandAsiawhoare consideringimplementingprojectsinAsia.

the booklet has two sides. One presentsthe challenges that consumers face inthe region when embracing sustainable

consumption,particularlyregardingtheproductlife-cycle, and the other presents solutions andopportunities. The unique design requires thereadertoflipitovertocontinuereadingfromthemiddle–itneedstobe‘SWITCHED’.Thesolutionssection of the booklet contains case studies ofprogrammesandprojectsfromtheregion.Theseexamples showcase ‘sustainable consumption’

especially in overcoming challenges at decisionpoints–whattobuy,howtouse,andhowtodis-card.Thispartisparticularlyusefulfororganisa-tionswithinandoutsideAsiathatarenottakingpart in the SWITCH-Asia programme as a basisfor showing the replication of sustainable con-sumptionapproaches. Thissideof thebookletdealswith thesolu-tions, approaches and instruments for achieving a shift to environmentally friendly and fair pro-ducts, responsible product-use and good end-of-life management including reuse and recycling in asia. Particularly, it seeks to answers thesequestions:• Whatcangovernments,businessesandNGOs dotoengage,encourage,enable,and exemplifysustainableconsumption?• Whatarethesolutionstothechallengesof promotingsustainableconsumption?• Whataretheexamplesandlessonlearned fromotherstakeholdersorpractitioners?

side 1 switch side 2

table oF Contentswhat sustainable consumption means for the asia-pacific region 4turning challenges into opportunities 5 what and how to buy 10 CASE STUDYIndia:Whereconsumerscanbeconfidentthatthey’re shoppingforchange 10 CASE STUDYThailand:Organictoethical–greenmarketingmakesadded valueclear 15 how to use 21 CASE STUDYBangladesh:Cooking,poultryandworkingtogether introducingruralconsumersto‘low-impactproductuse’ 21 how to discard 26 CASE STUDY Philippines:Sharedresponsibilityforwastemeansa healthierneighbourhoodandacleanerLakeLaguna 27 CASE STUDY India:Environmentallysoundmanagementofelectronicwaste31actions in asia – laying a path to sustainable consumption 35wrapping up: sustainable consumption for asia 42From sustainable consumption towards sustainable lifestyles 45references 46

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what sustainable ConsuMption Means For the asia-paCiFiC region

what does sustainable consumptionmeanfor theAsiaPacific region? Itmeans making a ‘green leap’ from

anunsustainabletoasustainabledevelopmentpath. It means switching to greener productsandservices,anditmeansencouraginglesspol-lutingandresource-intensepatternsofindustri-aldevelopment.Figure1showsthelevelofhu-mandevelopmentthatcountrieshavereached(verticalaxis),andtheircorrespondingenviron-mentalfootprint(horizontalaxis).

Developed countries (in the blue cloud) havereachedacomfortablelevelofhumandevelop-ment. Their burden on the environment, how-ever, ishigher than theglobalecologicalcarry-ing capacity. Developing countries (in the greycloud) have not reached the same level of hu-mandevelopment.Thesecountrieshavearap-idly expanding middle class that is consumingplentyofresources.Thus,hugeinvestmentsareneeded to provide for basic needs of the low-incomepeople.

‘developed Countries’

‘developing Countries’

High demand on biosphere per person

Within carrying capacity

SustainableDevelopment

Low humandevelopment

Minimum acceptable level of Human Development

Wor

ld a

vera

gebi

ocap

acity

avai

labl

e pe

r per

son

High demand on biosphere per personLow human development

The Green Leap

Ecological Footprint per person

Hum

an d

evel

opm

ent I

ndex

Figure 1: The path towards sustainable consumption: responding to increasing demand without inflating ecological footprints (adapted from WWF, 2006a, p.19)

Singapore making a green leap to the first row in Asian Green City Index 2011 (Photo: Januario Rivas III)

4

72

Singapore making a green leap to the first row in Asian Green City Index 2011 (Photo: Januario Rivas III)

turning Challenges into opportunities

5

Consumerscanmakeasignificantcontri-butiontowardsthecreationofasustain-ablesocietyjustbytakingmorecareover

the decisions they make when buying, using,ordiscardingaproductorservice.Buttomakeinformed decisions, business needs to provideinformation and opportunity.This booklet setsoutthechallengesthatexisttodayforconsum-ers and producers, and shows how they cancometogetherwithgovernmentsandNGOstoovercometheobstacles–suchaslackoftrustorunavailabilityofgreenchoices–andjointlycon-tributetothe‘greenleap’thatAsianeeds. Governments, businesses (including produ-cers), NGOs and educators can engage with,enable, encourage, and exemplify for consum-ers to purchase and experience better qualityproductsandservices.Forexample,therecould

be an opportunity to increase their awarenessof how much energy, water, or other materialshave been used during production, or to inno-vateforamoreefficientconsumption.Informa-tiononthesustainabilityofaproduct,alongitssupply chain, can be provided by eco-labelling,forinstance,whichcanhelpaconsumerassessthe full cost of a product. Governments canalso directly engage consumers, in collabora-tionwithotherinterestedorganisationssuchasNGOs,mediaandschools,inthehopeofchang-ingtheirbehaviour.Table1summarisesvariousmeans and strategies for meeting the chal-lengesofsustainableconsumptionbydifferentstakeholders.Theseresponsesandstrategiescor-respondtochallengesinPart1,whichhavebeenidentifiedandselectedthroughliteraturesearch-esanddiscussionswithexpertsintheregion.

Figure 2: The paths towards encouraging and enabling consumers to make sustainable decisions(CSCP, 2009)

Opportunities exist for consumers to experience ethical markets in Asia

5

environment friendly and ethical products

Enablingchoiceforethicalproductsthataresafewithlowcarbon,lowresourceintensityandbenefitbothcon-sumersandproducers.

environment friendly use of products

Raisingawarenessabout,andencouragingdesignfor,low-carbonandresource-efficientproductuse.

after-sales and end-of-life services

Makingfacilitiesandsystemsavailableforreuse,recycle,return,repairorsafedisposal.

what to buy?

how to use?

how todiscard?

the Challenge For poliCy-Makers: how to enCourage and enable

the Challenge For ConsuMers: how to Make sustainable deCisions

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Table 1: Courses of action to create opportunities for sustainable consumption

governMentChallengew

hat

/ h

ow

to b

uyLimited access to ethical products and services

Lack of transparency and credibility of product performance

Show it: lead by exam-ple, adopt policies on green public procure-mentEncourage visibility:provide support to shops and retailers offering ethical products and labelsKnow the audience: recognise habits, local consumption patterns and routines. Informa-tion alone does not do the trick! Use the carrot: intro-duce incentives such as tax reductions, exemp-tions, low interest rates to enable affordability

Safeguard sustainability: develop guidelines on product sustainability criteria and reporting, on corporate green pur-chasing and on ethical tradeGreen means ethical: develop a consumer-friendly labelling system such as the “traffic-light” systemKeep track: conduct market surveillance activities and technical training in testing and monitoringMark the spot: imple-ment ‘trade marks’ for ethical retail stores

Invest in visibility: provide shelf space for ethical products and put them next to usual offersBuild a local network: work at community level to harness area-based messengersEmbrace inclusivity: blend sustainability criteria in brand devel-opmentOffer choices: facilitate access and options to sustainable products at affordable pricesBuild the brand: make ethical products house-hold namesInvest in collective innovation: R&D for new concepts or designs through user-integrated approach

Make it easy: make product and services in-formation easily acces-sible (hotline, website, customer service)Get it across: with 3Cs of communication (clarity, credibility and comparability) when offering products and servicesWalk the talk: put sus-tainability into practice for example, retail-ers can measure and report on their carbon footprint (refrigeration, lighting, baking, air-conditioning)

Lead and guide: develop information materials on how/where to access fair trade products Clean-up: carry out ‘supermarket sweeps’ to weed out unethical products from markets, and encourage green products on shelvesTransform and reach out: evolve into, and engage with, social enterprises and help consumers access ethi-cal marketsAgent of change: act as not-for-profit interme-diary and link consum-ers to ethical products

demystify labels: educate consumers on how to read labelsCheck and balance: test products and publicise findings!Name and shame: highlight bad perform-ing products or ‘green washing’ practicesProtect and serve: promote standardi-sation, quality and consumer protection issues

business ngo

707

governMentChallenge

ho

w to

use

Consumers are unaware of the concept and advantage of low-impact product use

No after-sales support

Protect consumers: develop guidelines and regulations on product advertising. For exam-ple, for advertisements that target children, or false and misleading or direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketingPath the way: launch national education campaigns on environ-mentally friendly use of productsChange it: replace or phase-out products with high impact in the use phase, such as CFC and HCFC to CFC-free refrigerant

Nurture responsibility: develop policies on extended producer responsibility (EPR)Provide guidance: develop guidelines on due diligence and liabilityPut-up helplines: setup national consumer hotlines such as The National Consumer Helpline, India

Get bold: adopt vol-untary agreements to comply and self-regulate, such as voluntary report-ing, targets for product improvements, emission reductions, or certifica-tion schemesInvolve everyone: design cross-sector campaigns to tackle habits and routines. For example, universal chargers for mobile phones can in-clude manufacturers, us-ers, distributors, retailers, regulators, media, etc.develop a base: build local product use support servicesGet wired: build immedi-ate feedback mechanisms into products on impact of use such as smart metres

Recognition: award initiatives for innova-tive after-sales services (through business associations)Invest in customer rela-tionship management: set-up accessible after-sales support to extend product life-time and create added product value for customerMove forward: evolve from products to services and make the conven-tional product part of the service offer. For exam-ple, in home ownership, facilitate renting, sharing, leasing, building main-tenance after selling the property to the buyer

Call for change: organ-ise national campaigns for sustainable lifestyles to change consumer behaviour. For example,. “Change begins with Me” for 3K MalaysiaUse without owning: steer into sharing, collective and collabo-rative consumptionBuild capacity: develop knowledge centres on sustainable products e.g. info materialsHelp with ‘how’: devel-op guides on eco-friend-ly usage or operation of products and services Highlight the bad: support programme to phase-out products and services with high impact in use-phase

Insist on producer responsibility: push for adoption of extended producer responsibilityHelp complaints: facili-tate consumer redress. The National Consumer Complaint Centre (Ma-laysia) operated by an NGO supports the gov-ernment mechanism, i.e. the tribunaldo service: act as a serv-ice provider supporting the extended product needs beyond selling point. For example, car pooling service connect-ing various destinations to a common parking facility (products to services)

business ngo

698

governMentChallenge

ho

w to

dis

Card

Lack of waste disposal/ management infrastructure

Few take-back mechanisms

Close the loop:implement national strategies on 3R (provide incentives for consumers to reduce, reuse, recycle), setup waste infra- structureGet partners: enter public-private partner-ships for waste man-agementEncourage conformity: develop regulations for banning products and preventing waste

Strike nationwide: develop national action plans on extended pro-ducer responsibility for major product chainsSay ‘how’: develop guidelines of implemen-tation on take-back and re-use obligations or deposit-refund schemesReward the deeds: provide incentives to community initiatives for the 3Rs, e.g. discount on housing assessment rates in MalaysiaPat on the back: encourage and support good nation-wide take back practices, e.g. for expired drugs

Espouse all players: support institutionalisa-tion of informal sector which takes-back and recycles Fix it: adopt voluntary labels such as ‘easy-to-repair’ labelsdo it this way: provide ‘how-to-dispose’ infor-mation on labels and or product informationFollow suit: adopt sector-wide take-back, or 3R, initiatives

Take it: adopt take-back, deposit & returns systemsPlay it: demand and implement regulations on extended product liabilityGet hooped: manage the entire lifecycle of a consumer product. Encourage consumers to return Go for more: explore resource efficiency gains and cost reduction possi-bilities through recycling

Educate: raise aware-ness and campaign for the 3Rs and waste preventionSort them out: develop guides on household waste managementGo into action mode: initiate a 3R activity or campaign, e.g. “No Plastic Bags Day”

Get them to take: campaign for take-back policies and practicesGet heard: push for extended producer responsibility and take-back obligationsRise to the occasion: Collect and make good use of waste that is specially created due to a specific occasion or celebration. E.g. Samarth Bharat Vyas Peeth, a NGO in Thane (India) collects Nirmalya (floral waste) used in the Ganesh Chathurti festival and gives back fertiliser made out of floral waste to citizens (Karlikar, 2011)

business ngo

689

box 1: Chipping in For sustainable ConsuMption: Changing ConsuMer behaviour is a shared Mission

Sustainable consumption opportunities also exist for other stakeholders such as the media, ombudsmen, educators, artists, celebrities or learning and academic institutions to educate, engage and empower consumers. They can help ethical products and services be more visible and promote personal benefi ts, as well as the environmental and social issues that exist in product chains. Media can reach out to consumers through radio, television, internet, and newspapers. Art-ists and celebrities, too, can do their bit for the environment and support and promote ethi-cal product use. Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, for instance, endorsed a dry Holi festival to save water, and actor Rahul Bose promoted the use of eco-friendly organic col-ours during Holi festival (Saini, 2010). To send a message to the public to conserve water, actor Akshay Kumar and director Vipul Shah, decided against using 70-80 tankers of water during shooting of a Holi song in the making of the movie Action Replay (Saini, 2010). Learning and academic institutions can adopt a syllabus on education for Sustainable Consumption. Schools can collaborate with NGOs that have experience and capacity to provide support and expertise, such as Consum-ers International. Recycling could be integrated into academic courses such as solid waste man-

agement and environmental health. A syllabus on recycling could require students to collect recycling bins throughout the school and be rewarded with marks or good grades. For ex-ample, Donna Sisler’s recycling class syllabus for K12 in Minneapolis (USA) involves students collecting recycling bins throughout the school and disassembling computers for recycling (Sis-ler, No Year). A course in Indonesia on citizen-ship and education included media images and recycled items, plus a campaign on recycling and going green (Anonymous, No Year). In In-dia, the school syllabus of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike is to include garbage segre-gation and disposal (Lakshmikantha, 2010). Other stakeholders can organise joint events. Asian Foodprints 2011: Exploring Korea Through Its Foods and Foodways was organised in June 2011 by the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto and sponsored by the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Toronto. The event, an academic conference and banquet, included leading scholars and world-renowned practitioners of Korean cui-sine examining the production and consump-tion of Korean food. They discussed the social, economic and nutritional factors shaping food consumption, along with cultural issues around food (Consulate General of the Republic of Ko-rea, 2011).

Other stakeholders can also be encouraged topromotesustainableconsumption(Box1).They

cancampaign,educateandraiseawareness, intheirowninterestingandmeaningfulways.

Artists use cartoons to carry messages of sustainable consumption(Source: Department of Consumers Affairs, Government of West Bengal)

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how to iMprove aCCess to ethiCal produCts and serviCes

Create and bring the green Market experienCe to every household Businessescanmakebrandnamesandlabelsforethicalproductsandservicesbecomecom-monhouseholdbrandswithgoodvisibility.TheThaiOrganicFoodCompanysellsorganicfarmproductsunderitspopularbrand‘RaiPluk-Rak’.Their products are displayed well and are ac-cessible inover20branchesofBangkok’sfivemajorsupermarkets.

nurturing eCo-Friendly loCal produCt useSocial enterprises have a role to play. TheFarmersandNatureNet,asocialenterpriseofthe NGO Cambodian Center for Study andDevelopment in Agriculture, brands ethicalandeco-friendlyfarmproductsasNatural-Agri

Products.Itmakesthemaccessibletolocalcon-sumers,especiallylow-incomegroups,servingalsotoempowerthewomenandcommunitieswhobuythem(seewww.agro-info.net).

ConneCt theM!NGOs can link sources of ethical products toconsumers while conveying messages aboutethicalconsumption.TheShopforChange,forexample,apartfrompromotingfairtrade,alsoempowersfarmersandartisansinIndia.

Nurturing eco-friendly local product use

Case study:

india: where ConsuMers Can be ConFident that they’re shopping For Change

T ..here is an emer-ging middle class in India wanting to

buy fairly traded pro-ducts. Some products have been available in specialty fair trade shops.

But for many consumers, fair trade products have been hard to find, and until recently there was no real incentive for consumers to make an effort to

go and look. Now, however, a concerted effort be-tween producers, retailers and brands, catalysed by a tested marketing concept, is beginning to tap this potential by guaranteeing high-quality, fair trade products and making them visible and available. In 2009, a survey by MasterCard showed that 76% of the respondents, India’s urban consumers, would prefer to buy fair trade products, given the chance, and would even be willing to pay more

‘what’ and ‘how’ to buy

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for them. But until now meeting this consumer demand with easily available fair trade products had been a slow process - a process that ‘Shop for Change’ set out to speed up. An EU-funded project gave birth to the origi-nal idea, which was based largely on interna-tional models of fair trade and corporate social responsibility. To adapt these concepts to the In-dian market, a multi-stakeholder development process carefully built on successful international models to make Shop for Change relevant to In-dia’s unique opportunities and challenges. It soon became apparent that such an initiative was not only useful for consumers, it could literally save the lives of many poor farmers and handicrafts artisans across India who struggle to make a daily living. Many Indian farmers like these live with the constant thought of suicide, and many sadly act on it, because they see no economic exit

to their poor existence. Linking such producers to interested consumers, Shop for Change found it had a pivotal role to play not just in changing the status quo but in catalysing progress towards a greener, fairer, more sustainable future for every-one involved.

SHOP FOR CHANGE CREATING A NEW WAY

After two years of set-up work, Shop for Change was officially launched as a not-for-profit com-pany in Mumbai. The team, led by Seth Petch-ers, who brought in-depth experience from fair trade markets in the US, embarked on a unique set of objectives: to certify producers, producer organisations and buyers; to create incentives; to build producer capacity to cut costs and increase productivity; to provide supply chain services for retailers and producer organisations; and to raise awareness, particularly among consumers. With an initial focus on cotton textiles, Shop for Change has already begun work on certifying food products and aspires to certify handicrafts in the future.

BE THERE ANd BE FAIRAll along the value chain of products sold by Shop for Change, certified producer organisations and partner brands meet standards which guarantee that producers behind certified products are get-ting a fairer deal to care for their families and the environment (see Figure 1). In the case of certified producer organisations that deal directly with producers, these standards must be embedded in the structure and operations of the organisation itself. Having the standards means Indian mid-dle class consumers know that when they choose products with the Shop for Change Mark, they are doing their part to ensure producers are getting a fairer deal.

CEO of Shop of Change, Seth, and Project Manager of Pro Sustain Project of the SWITCH-Asia Programme, Muralidharan from HIVOS

A farmer from VAPCOL, the farmer organization behind the Shop for Change certified mango, cashew, and aamla (Photo: Sourcemap)

shop for Change is a win-win-win

proposition. by using the shop for

Change Mark to create new value

in supply chains, poor producers get a fairer

deal, brands differentiate their products in a

crowded marketplace, and consumers get an

easy way to do their bit by choosing products

with the shop for Change Mark.

(Seth Petchers, CEO of

Shop for Change)

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The standards and certification system is guided by a set of core principles for fair production and business practices including:• equal opportunity for all people, with parti- cular attention to the most disadvantaged• healthy and safe work environments, free from discrimination, harassment and exploitation• fair wages for workers• environmentally sustainable practices• public accountability• long-term trade relationships between producers, producer organisations, and buyers• fair terms of trade between producers and buyers• capacity building for producers and producer organisations to increase their viability and profitability

FLExIBILITY ANd CAPACITY BUILdINGFrom the outset, one of Shop for Change’s goals was to make its standards accessible for produ-cers and producer organisations that have not been able to access alternative, more sustain-able markets in the past. The Shop for Change standards offer producer organisations with a great deal of flexibility for demonstrating compli-

ance. Further, buyers who partner with Shop for Change include a capacity building premium in the price paid for certified produce that helps pro-ducers and producer organisations build their ca-pacity to meet the standards, cut costs and boost productivity, and grow in a more environmentally sustainable way.

There are in-depth standards for producers, pro-ducer organisations, and buyers – anyone who works at any stage of the value chain. Producers with registered farms should maintain standards for cultivation and post-harvest handling, and adhere to minimum social requirements (decent work), economic (capacity building commit-ment), environmental (safe use of agrochemicals), and management (quality of produce) activities. Similarly with producer organisations, and their registered growers, standards cover areas such as governance and procurement. And finally, buyers, retailers, processors, wholesalers or brand owners, must respect standards relating to information and product labels, complaints, and even the re-lationship itself between the buyer and the local community.

Figure 1: The Shop for Change model

shop for Change

primary production

producers(Farmers)

• Fairprice• Bargainingpower• Improvedskills throughcapacity- building• Environmental awareness• Marketawareness

• Guaranteedsales• Long-termrelation- shipbuildingwith buyers• Capacitybuilding• Improved environmental performance

• Addedbrandvalue• Improvedmarket visibilityofethical productportfolio• Improvedtrustin brand• CapturingLifeStyle ofHealthand Sustainability (LOHAS)consumers• CSRactiontaken

• Informeddecision- making• Trustinbrand• Possiblehealth benefits(e.g.no allergy)andmore comfort(e.g. organiccotton)• Reduced environmental footprint

• ...

producer organisations(Cooperatives)

buyers(Traders,Retailers)

Consumers(Households,

PublicAuthorities)

processing sales use disposal

Consumers(Households,

PublicAuthorities)

Stag

e in

Val

ue C

hain

Acto

rs in

the

Valu

e Ch

ain

Bene

fits

Production standards for all produce

from a registered farm

Standards for procure-ment, post-harvest

handling, and internal participatory systems for producer organisations

Standards for the pur-chase of certified produce from a producer organisa-tion or intermediate buyer

12

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MATCHMAKINGIn addition to setting standards, Shop for Change also became a matchmaker of sorts. It now helps brands and retailers to identify appropriate farm-ers, for example, and certified cooperatives they can trade with. To help ensure a consistent supply of market-quality products, Shop for Change has also set up a suppliers’ network.

VISIBILITYProducts certified by Shop for Change are already available online and in over 100 stores across In-dia. Retail brands Anita Dongre Timeless, iinter-pret, AND, Grassroot, Color Plus, and Celebwear.in all sell ranges of Shop for Change certified pro-ducts. No Nasties, a designer t-shirt company, is the first Indian company to sell only certified pro- ducts. Textile businesses are marketing them-selves as supporters of fair trade by displaying the Shop for Change Mark on garments made with certified cotton and on in-store promotional ma-terials. After starting its work in cotton textiles, Shop for Change has now launched its certification mark on food products in collaboration with the farmer-owned brand Vrindavan. Shop for Change plans to grow its work with food products farmers and brands aggressively over the coming year.

OUTREACHCertification alone is not sufficient to create mass demand so Shop for Change proactively reaches out to consumers – the young and the middle class – pushing the concept of fair trade. Amongst its tactics is working with Bollywood celebrities, such as actress and former Miss India Gul Panag, and actor and award-winning photographer Parvin Dabas, who are using their strong social influence to raise the profile of Shop for Change. The mass media provides has provided extensive coverage of Shop for Change and its brand part-ners, with national print and television coverage including The Times of India, Economic Times, People Magazine, and ET NOW’s television series Starting Up. Social networking sites such as Fa-cebook and Twitter are also strategically used by Shop for Change to reach a wider range of con-sumers. It is important to collaborate with the fair trade movement to keep messages consistent. Through the SWITCH-Asia funded Pro-Sustain project, Shop for Change partners with the Fair Trade Forum India and the International Resourc-es for Fairer Trade to reach out to consumers. In particular, the young are strategically targeted as future consumers through college outreach activ-ities, plays, street theatre, social media and net-working sites. More than 75 colleges are involved in raising awareness amongst young consumers.

POLICY LINKAGES

Many social and environmental certification agencies provide a voluntary policy instruments by setting standards, calling for better social and environmental performance, brokering informa-tion and creating transparency in the market. To support such efforts, the ministries for environ-ment, agriculture, commerce and textiles, for ex-ample, could improve policy support. Some recent

policy developments like the ‘National Voluntary Guidelines on Social, Environmental and Economic Responsibilities of Business’ released by the Minis-try of Corporate Affairs seem to be supportive.

13

Anita dongre, Gul Panag, and Seth Petchers meet with

Ashutosh deshpande, his staff, and farmers in AP from Chetna

Organic Producer Company, a fair trade farmer group

(Photo: Chetna Organic)

Anita dongre’s show stopper at Lakme Fashion Week, 2011: A wedding outfit made from Shop for Change Far Trade certified cotton grown by Chetna’s adiavasi farmers in Orissa (Photo: AND Designs)

Jackky Bhagnani and Puja Gupta at Mumbai radio station Red FM for the launch of Shop for Change’s collaboration with Celebwear.in

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REFERENCES

Pro-Sustain (2010). Taking Fair Trade to Campuses. New Delhi. Pro-Sustain (2011). Promoting Fair Trade and Sustainable Consumption in India. Accessed from http://www.switch-asia.eu/fileadmin/content/Colombo_sub_regional_event/Project_presentations_day1/ Prosustain_Project_presentation.pdf Consumers International (2011). Sustainable Consumption Challenges in Asia. Accessed from http://www.switch- asia.eu/fileadmin/content/Colombo_sub_regional_event/consumption_session/CIPresentation_ SwitchAsiaNetworkingMeet_Draft2.pdfShop for Change Fair Trade (2009). Generic Standards for Agricultural Supply Chains. Version 2009c.SWITCH-Asia (2011). India Project Field Consultation Notes for Pro Sustain 13-14 June 2011, MumbaiSWITCH-Asia (2010). Pro Sustain Project Progress Report. http://www.switch-asia.eu/switch-projects/project-progress/projects-on-creating-demand-for-better-products/ pro-sustain-fair-trade-india.html Personal Communication with Mr Seth Petchers in Mumbai, 01 June 2011. Personal Communication at No Nasties Shop in Mumbai, 01 June 2011. Personal Communication at Anita Dongre Shop in Mumbai, 01 June 2011

Table 1: Impact of Shop for Change mechanism on selected target groups

iMpaCttarget group

• 9 partner brands selling Shop for Change certified products, with additional brands planning launched in the coming 6 months• Over 100 retail outlets where Shop for Change certified products can be purchased along with online channels • Estimated €1.1 million in retail sales for Shop for Change certified products

• 7 000 farmers registered through Shop for Change producer groups

• 140 tons seed cotton sold by Shop for Change producer organisations to Shop for Change partner brands

• Estimated €1.6 million value of media coverage generated

Retailers

Farmers

Producers and buyers

Media

14

WHAT IS THE IMPACT?

Several target groups will benefit from the Shop for Change concept, including farmers, artisans, consumers, students, producers, producer groups, retailers and policy-makers (Table 1). The mark has greatly increased the availability of fair trade products, with over 100 retail locations selling Shop fop Change certified products from Shop for Change’s 9 partner brands. More than 7 000 farmers are certified through their producer or-ganisations, which have increased their sales and profitability following Shop for Change certifica-tion. While Shop for Change’s market presence is

just being established, to date 140 tons of seed cotton in India has been sold exclusively by Shop for Change accredited buyers.

100 % of T-shirt company No Nasties products are Shop for Change certified

62

Make unethiCal produCts disappearNGOs can discourage consumers from usingunethicalproductsasawaytocreateaccessibil-ityortomakeroomformoresustainableprod-

ucts. In 2009, members of ConsumersInternational markedWorld ConsumerRightsDayinvariouscountriesbyhold-inga‘supermarketsweep’to‘clean-up’unhealthy food marketed to children.Onthesameday,HongKong’sConsum-er Council gave money to school chil-drenforthemtobuyanyfoodproductsthey wanted from the supermarkets.

The children were taught to read food nutri-tionlabelssotheirpurchasingdecisionswouldbe better informed. NGOs can help consumersandtheirdecision-makingbypublishingguidesand helping them to shop more sustainably.SWECHHA’s ‘Sustainable Shopping Basket’ is a

guide for Indian households providing tips onsustainableshoppingandconsumption. It cov-ersfairtradeandorganicgoodsandeco-labels,andispartofthenationalconsumercampaign‘Jago Grahak Jago’ (SWECHHA, No Year). TheWWF Guide to Buying Paper is another exam-pleofaguidefromanNGOencouragingethicalproductbuying.ThisoneisbasedonthePaperScorecardcriteriaandthePaperCompanyEnvi-ronmental Index(WWF,2007)andcanbeusedworldwide. Community-based initiatives andsocialenterprises,suchasfarmer-consumerco-operativesorfairtradecommunities,canhelptoimprovemarket-accessforgreenproductsforallconsumergroups.GreenNetThailand,forexam-ple,hassuccessfullyencouragedandpromotedtheconsumptionofgreenproductsbymakingthemaccessibleandaffordableforfarmermem-bersinruralareas,aswellasforurbanconsumers.

“Community-based

initiatives and social

enterprises [...] can help

to improve market-

access for green products

for all consumer groups”

Case study:

thailand: organiC to ethiCal – green Marketing Makes added value Clear

F rom its roots in supporting sustainable agriculture and promoting organic food, a farmer’s cooperative in Thailand is now sell-

ing ethical benefits too and is expanding into en-vironmental and climate-friendly goods.

Nearly 15 years ago, a survey by Green Net survey showed that 70% of the interviewed consumers in Bangkok had been buying organic produce for at least a year and 58% felt that the price they were pay-ing was too high (Panyakul, 1998). It was also clear that these green consumers would be keen to support fair trade as well as environmentally friend-ly products. As a result Green Net strengthened its marketing efforts to encompass the envi-ronmental and health benefits of organic food. It also started to show that organic farm-ing was a good mitigator of

climate change. In securing a market for its pro-duce, Green Net looked to its own members, the farming community, to become green consumers. They also made buying organic food a vote for ethical production. Their ‘Live Fair, Live Organic’ campaign has helped to turn the cooperative into a ‘social business’ with a model it hopes can set an example for others to follow. Green Net is developing an ethically attractive image and creating demand in the market by:• building up its consumer base – with over 1,000 ethical or organic consumers being generated• building direct links between organic farmers and urban consumers – selling products, supplying information, consumer-to-farm visits, and organic farmers markets• creating a trusted household brand – adhering to national and international standards and blending them with their own ethical criteria• expanding their product line, which has already reached 20 items, from organic farm products to include other ethical goods

Figure 1: The Cooperative that allows farmer members to access and experience ethical products

Green Net Cooper-ative is a member of the World Fair

Trade Organization (WFTO), as well as the International Federation of Organic Agri-culture Movements (IFOAM). For more information www.greennet.or.th

i

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Figure 2: Green Net’s local market strategy

POLICY LINKAGES

The King has pushed for ‘The Suffi ciency Economy’ (UNESCAP, 2006; also see the Government Public Relations Department’s website) to predominate in Thailand and this has become the most im-portant and supportive element for Green Net in pushing a sustainable approach to consumption and production. Being a pioneer in organic agriculture in Thai-land, Green Net is also a founding member of the national organic certifi cation body, now the Or-ganic Agriculture Certifi cation Thailand (ACT), see Figure 3. The National Strategic Plan on Green-house Gas Reduction by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Priority, which covers the energy sector, waste utilisation, agricultural activities, and industry, also underlines the rel-evance of Green Net.

QUALITY ANd QUANTITY

The cooperative network has created a house-hold brand to strengthen consumer confi dence in its 20 products. It has strict quality control; it adopt standards, blends them with ethi-cal criteria and gaining national and interna-tional certifi cation. Green Net supplies around 2 000 tons of organic rice a year to its member cooperatives in Yasothon, Chiang Mai, Uttaradit, Loei, Khon Khen and Chachoengsao provinces (Janssen, 2008) and abroad. Over 80% of its prod-ucts are now exported to Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand and Canada.

FARMERS MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE

In 2000, agriculture sector contributed around 23% of GHG emissions (Figure 4). In 2007, it was reported that CH4 and N2O emissions from agri-culture had increased by nearly 17% from 1990 to 2005, with an average increase of about 60 MtCO 2 -eq/yr in annual emission (Smith et al, 2007). Although the impact has yet to be fully docu-mented, Green Net supporting organic farming is thought to be helping to mitigate cli-mate change. Greenhouse gas emissions from organic farming are reportedly 48-66% lower, per hectare, than conven-tional agriculture, at least according to calculations from Europe (Burdick 1994; Stolze et al, 2000; Haas and Köpke, 1994). As agriculture is the second highest con-tributor of CO2 emissions for Thailand (more than 22%), by promoting organic farming, Green Net could eventually help to minimise its environmental impact (IFOAM, 2009).

box 1: green net: working its way into ConsuMers’ kitChens

• Door-to-door delivery of organic products, packed and delivered to offi ces and homes once a week• Opening up of organic shops in Bangkok and other key cities• Linking up with other outlets in Thailand and creating an affi liate group of organic shops• Wholesale of organic produce• Exporting organic produce and venturing into food processing(Source: Hermida, 2007)

Ethical compliance and certifications help Green Net to boost consumer confidence

Figure 3: Green Net contributed to the development of Thai organic certification

consumers creating change

1,100 members • 40 retail outlets

GREEN NETCOOPERATIVE

20 assorted organic products, including

Vegetables, fruit, rice, tea, cotton, etc.

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REFERENCES

Burdick, B. (1994). Klimaänderung und Landbau – Die Agrarwirtschaft als Täter und Opfer. Ökologie und Landbau, Bad Dürkheim.Chidthaisong, A., and Towprayoon, S. ( 2010). Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Mitigation and Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential for Thailand Paddy Fields. Thailand: King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi. Accessed on 25 July 2011 from http://www.niaes.affrc.go.jp/marco/marco_gra2010/09_marco_gra_chidthaisong.pdf Haas, G., and Köpke, U. (1994). Vergleich der Klimarelevanz ökologischer und koventioneller Landbewirtschaftung. In: Enquète-Kommission Schutz der Erdatmosphäre des Deutschen Bundestages (ed.) Schutz der Grünen Erde Klimaschutz durch umweltgerechte Landwirtschaft und Erhalt der Wälder. Economica Verlag, Bonn. pp. 92-196.Hermida, J. (2007). Green Net: A Trailblazer in Organic Marketing in Southeast Asia. Accessed on 26 July 2011 from http://asiadhrra.org/wordpress/2007/11/30/green-net-a-trailblazer-in-organic-marketing-in-southeast-asia/ Ho, Mae-Wan and Lim, Li Ching (2008). Mitigating Climate Change through Organic Agriculture and Localised Food Systems. ISIS Report. UK: The Institute of Science in Society (ISIS). Accessed on 26 July 2011 from http://www.i-sis.org.uk/mitigatingClimateChange.php IFOAM (2009). The Contribution of Organic Agriculture of Climate Change Mitigation. IFOAM-EU Group. http://www.ifoam.org/ growing_organic/1_arguments_for_oa/environmental_benefits/pdfs/IFOAM-CC-Mitigation-Web.pdf Janssen, P. R. (2008). Thailand’s Organic Rice Farmers Enjoy Health Benefits. Accessed on 26 July 2011 from http://twocircles.net/node/74660. Panyakul, V. N. (1998). Creating a Green Market: Experiences from Green Net-Thailand. LEISA Magazine 14 (No. 4). Accessed from http://www.agriculturesnetwork.org/magazines/global/growing-green-and-trading-fair/ creating-a-green-market-experiences-from-green-net Smith, P., Martino, d., Cai, Z.,Gwary, d., Janzen, H., Kumar, P., McCarl, B., Ogle, S., O’Mara, F., Rice, C., Scholes, B., Sirotenko, O. (2007): Agriculture. In Climate Change 2007. Mitigation. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [B. Metz, O.R. Davidson, P.R. Bosch, R. Dave, L.A. Meyer (eds)], Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.Stolze, M., Piorr, A., Härring, A., and dabbeert, S. (2000). The Environmental Impacts of Organic Farming in Europe. University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart-Hohenheim.The Government Public Relations department (No Year). The New Theory and the Sufficiency Economy. Accessed on 30 July 2011 from http://thailand.prd.go.th/ebook/king/new_theory.html UNESCAP (2006). Self Sufficiency Economy in Thailand. In: Green Growth at a Glance: The Way Forward for Asia and Pacific. UNEP RRCAP Resources. Accessed from http://www.ekh.unep.org/files/SELF%20SUFFICIENCY%20ECONOMY%20IN%20THAILAND.doc

agriCulture’s estiMated Contribution to greenhouse gas eMissions in 2000

Industrial processes16.39 mt / 7.2 %

Land Use, Land-use Change & Forestry 7.9 mt / 3.4 %

Waste9.32 mt / 4.1 %

Agriculture51.88 mt / 22.6 %

Energy159.39 mt / 69.6 %

Rice cultivation29.94 mt / 57.7 %

Agricultural soils7.6 mt / 14.6 %

Field burning of agricultural residues1.01 mt / 1.9 %

Enteric fermentation8.26 mt / 15.9 %

Manure management5.07 mt / 9.8 %

Units: million tons (mt) of CO2 equivalent/percentage (%)

Figure 4: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture could have a significant impact(Source: Adapted from Chidthaisong and Towprayoon, 2010)

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The Pro-Sustain project in India is another ex-ample making ethical products and servicesavailable and accessible to consumers in themarketplace(Box2).

Governments can extend personal tax reduc-tionsorbenefitstocovertheuseofgreenprod-uctstohelpconsumersmakebetterchoices.InMalaysia,theresidentsunderthejurisdictionofPetaling JayaCityCouncilapplauded themoveto offer rebates (partial refund) in assessmentto green-conscious residents. Under the Petal-ing JayaLow-carbonGreenRebateAssessmentScheme,thecitycouncilcangiverebatesofuptoRM500toresidentswhoincorporateenergyefficientupgradesoradoptagreenlifestyle. A25% rebate, for instance, can be given to resi-dents for using solar panels in their homes(Henry,2011). TheThaiGovernmenthasmadeethicalprod-ucts and services more accessible and afford-ablebysupportingthehousingandcommercialsectors to reduce energy usage: a nationwidecampaignonreplacingincandescentlightbulbswith compact florescence lamps (CFL), for in-stance,involvedCFLproducers,distributorsandretailers,helpingtomakethemmoreaccessiblethroughoutthecountry(seeBox3). In Bangladesh, removing VAT/tax on solarpanels,rawmaterialsandaccessorieshavemadethemmoreaccessibletomanyruralhouseholds.Bangladeshalsoencouragesbusinessestopro-duce components for the solar home systems(Barua,2010).

box 3: reduCing eleCtriCity ConsuMption in thailand

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has been promoting compact fluorescence lamps with an energy efficiency rating of ‘5’ for more than 10 years. More than 3 mil-lion replacements were made in 2007 alone. This led to a reduc-tion of electricity consumption to 1,500 million units/year, of electricity demand to 300 Mega WATT/year, and ofCO2 emis-sions to 700,000 tons/year (equivalent to 240,000 cars/year). And they did it by: • advertising in all media,• distributing 800,000 free CFLs, • cooperating with private CFL producers to develop a market e.g. price incentive, and • by working together with distributors, retailers and other distribution channels such as such as through 7-11 late-night shops.(Source: Poonuchaphai, 2010 and Limaye et al., 2009)

box 2: switCh-asia: Fair trade and sustainable ConsuMption in india with pro-sustain

Pro-Sustain is creating a market for fair trade products (produced in

a socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable way) in India. It targets students at 75 colleges and upper middle-class consum-er households and organises campus events, corporate gifting programmes, events with trade and business bodies, and web-based campaigns. It also partners with the Govern-ment to promote fair trade at exhibitions through official programmes and policies, and uses government infrastructure to help shift consumer demand and to facilitate access to fair trade products. To bring consumers to sup-port sustainable consumption the project has included strategies for entry into retail chains and stores through the Shop for Change label initiative. Another initiative is the ‘Umbrella’ branded Fair Trade Shops that exclusively stocks and sells Fair Trade products and a com-mon Fair Trade brand, which consumers can relate to and buy. Besides this the Corporate Gifting programme and the Corporate Pro-curement programme also enable greater ac-cess for sustainable products. The project has also introduced the ‘I support Fair Trade Cam-paign’, which seems to be picking up amongst and attracting attention of consumers.

More information: www.fairtrade-prosustain.in

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Governmentsupport isessential inAsiafor in-creasing the visibility of environment friendlychoicesandcredibilityofinitiativesencouragingethicalpurchases(seeBox4).

how to iMprove transparenCy and Credibility oF produCt perForManCe

The transparency and credibility of a product’sperformancecanbeimprovedbyeffectivecom-munications – using accessible channels, andmakinglabelsinformative.

Make two-way CoMMuniCation easyBusinesses can make product information ac-cessiblebyhavinghotlines,websites,customerservice centres, or product description labels(Figure3).Thesecanbebasedonthethree‘C’sofcommunication–clarity,credibilityandcom-parability (Consumer Focus, 2009). Informa-tion and communication technology can playa key role in making product information eas-ilyaccessible.Forexample,ecoScanisamobiletechnology that helps consumers to learn andunderstand the stories behind environmentfriendlyproducts(Figure4).ecoScanChinaaimsto connect users with a vast array of informa-tionabouttheproductstheypurchaseincluding

Governments can also lead by example byadoptinggreenpublicprocurement.Thismighthaveatrickledowneffectonthemarketgrowthofethicalproductsandservices.MunicipalitiesinChinaarehelpingtodevelopagreenmarketby adopting green purchasing practices andbringing the concept of green procurement tothepeople(Box5).

box 4: responsible retailers roundtable (bali, indonesia)

box 5: switCh-asia: Creating Markets through publiC proCureMent in China

In Asia public procurement accounts for about 20-30% of products and services consumed. By establishing minimum environmental criteria, and using their purchasing power, the Govern-ment can create a market. The Green Public Procurement China project is working with municipal public procurement centres in the cities of Tianjin, Qinhuangdao and Lanzhou, to adapt national standards for

local use. Criteria for the use of energy and wa-ter, emissions, and recyclability, are being set for computers, paper and vehicles.

More information: www.switch-asia.eu/switch-projects/project-progress/projects-on-greening-public-procurement/greening-public-procurement.html

The Bali Coalition of environmental NGOs is a loose association of communities, individuals and non-profi ts that initially band-ed together in 2010. From the onset, it was agreed that retailers would be the focus of the Coalition’s efforts due to their fast ex-pansion and substantial environmental impacts of their opera-tions. Keeping in mind the provincial government’s Clean and Green program, the Coalition decided to focus on plastic bags to get the retail sector engaged in a discussion on sustainabil-ity. Evidently, plastic bags are the tip of the iceberg in terms of overall environmental impact generated by retailers, however since there is already a growing consumer awareness of their impact, they represent a pressure point. Because of the Indone-sian context, it was felt imperative that an effort to bring plastic bags under control should emanate not from a non-profi t, but from the government. With this in mind, the Coalition met with the head of the Bali Environmental Agency (Badan Lingkungan Hidup (BLH) Propinsi Bali), which lent credibility and authority to the effort. The Head of BLH responded favourably to the Coa-lition’s proposal towards the establishment of the roundtable, and offered to facilitate the process (Dunais, 2011).

19

Figure 3: An example of standard label for completely lead free product(Source: Diodes Incorporated)

57

sustainableproductiontechniques,greencerti-ficationratingsandcorporatesocialresponsibil-itypractices.Byencouragingconsumerstoseekout this kind of information, consumer aware-nessandoverall industrystandardsofsustain-ableconsumptionandproductioncouldbeim-proved. NGOs can educate the public by exposingunethical practices. Consumers Internationalhas an Annual Bad Products Award to expose

the “failings of corporate responsibility andtheabuseofconsumertrust”.Forexample,theawarddisclosesthe‘greenwashing’ofCoca-Co-la,wherethecompanycontinuedinternationalmarketingofits‘mineralwater’brandedDasani,despiteadmittingusingthesamesourcesaslo-caltapwater(CI,2007). In addition, NGOs can forward consumer-friendly recommendations for green productdevelopmentandlabelling(seeBox6). Governmentscanhelpstrengthenconsumerconfidence by developing legislation for envi-ronmental certification and labelling schemes.They can also step in and develop ‘minimumrequirements for ethical claims’. For example,theGovernorfortheProvinceofNanggroeAcehDarussalam in Indonesia endorsed the GreenReconstructionPolicyGuidelines(WWF,2006b)for use in Aceh’s sustainable reconstruction.They were to be used both for the provincialgovernmentandtheregencyorcityadministra-tion. Such guidelines could become a basis forself-declaration or self-regulation. At the sametime,suchguidelinescouldbecomeabasis forminimumrequirementstomakeethicalclaims(CI,2010). Governmentscanalsocreateacommonplat-formforexchanginginformation.The1MalaysiaPenggunaBijak (1MPB)Portal (Figure5), forex-ample,enablesconsumersto:• compareprices(pricewatch)• blog/discussinaforum/webchat• registerasusers(“RakanPengguna”)• useSMSapplications–checkprices,make complaints,gototribunal• accessinformationonconsumerismand consumertips

Figure 5: An example of a smart consumer portal – an innovative and interactive platform initiated by the Ministry of domestic Trade, Consumerism and Cooperatives in Malaysia(Source: 1MPB)

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box 6: green produCt developMent and labelling in Mongolia

Mongolia has a strong history of locally pro-duced goods. Many goods rely on extensive agriculture, husbandry and forestry and are manufactured into consumer goods (e.g. food and textile products). The Mongolian Nation-al Chamber of Commerce and Industry with several partners implement the SWITCH-Asia project Green Product Development in order to improve the product quality and manufac-turing efficiency and to strengthen the posi-tion of the products in the local and national markets. Manufacturing companies took part in the ‘Green Product Idea Challenge’ and capacity-building seminars on Mongo-lian eco-labelling schemes. Enhancing the sales of sustainable Mongolian products not only depends on the supply side but largely also on the demand side. In order to promote sustainable products, apart from marketing of green products by manufacturers, general promotion of green products and labels to-wards retailers and consumers is planned.

More information:www.greenproduct.mn

Figure 4: ecoScan system (Source: www.ecoscan.info)

56

‘how to use’

how Can ConsuMers understand ‘low-iMpaCt produCt use’ and its beneFits?

beCoMe the vehiCle For disseMinating the MessageJorKoe EcoTrek, a tour operator in Mae HongSon,Thailand,isthevehicleforsharingcommu-nity-based eco-tourism projects with visitors.These projects are conserving natural and cul-tural resources and being implemented by theThai environmental NGO, Project for Recoveryof Life and Culture (see http://huaiheevillage.blogspot.com/2008/09/what-is-jorkoe-ecotrek.html). Businesses can also adopt cross-sectorlinkages to improve their products, habits androutinestoreducetheimpactonenvironment.

For example, a detergent company can workwitha‘whitegoods’companytomaketheirde-tergent more efficient and green for use withwashingmachines. NGOscanguideconsumerstowardssmarterconsumption with sustainable lifestyle cam-paigns. The five-year ‘3K Programme’ from theFederation of Malaysian Consumers Associa-tions,forexample,helpstoimproveconsump-tionbehaviourandtoenableconsumerstouseutilitiessuchaswaterandelectricitymoreeffi-ciently.Thecampaignencouragesgoodconsum-er behaviour such as watching less televisiononits‘NoTVDay’,savingmoneybymonitoringprices,andfindinggoodbargains. The eco-village of Shamalia, near Dhaka inBangladesh, is a small private initiative of Na-ture Alliance which is helping villagers changetheir habit of using firewood and motivatingthemtoceasecuttingtrees.

Case study:

bangladesh: Cooking, poultry and working together introduCing rural ConsuMers to ‘low-iMpaCt produCt use’

V illagers in a remote village in Bangla-desh are now enjoying better health, higher income, and a less rapid degrada-

tion of their forest thanks to the introduction of low-impact sustainable living. Nature Alliance, a non-profit initiative has been sharing its innova-tive and practical approach for living in harmo-ny with nature and combining it with a sound economic base, to encourage the inhabitants of Shamalia into a viable, more sustainable way of life.

• 63 % of total annual biomass fuel consumption comes from firewood.• 48 % of the current energy requirement comes from trees and bamboo (36% from agricultural residues and 13% from dung).(Source: Sohel et al., 2010)

Forest use in bangladesh

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Cooking with firewood in Bangladesh (Photo: Nature Alliance)

Mr. Mohiuddin Babar of Nature Alliance during a motivation session with villagers

The poultry farm shared by three families

It is not just urban consumers who can benefit from a renewed focus on low-impact living. Na-ture Alliance recognised the potential for change in Shamalia village, near Dhaka, and proposed an integrated action programme for change, and an accompanying initiative for environmental edu-cation.

1. The Participatory Natural Surrounding Man-agement Programme is bringing the village to-gether to plant trees, manage waste and sani-tation, conserve and improve the local natural beauty, all the while strengthening a unique iden-tity for the community. The first step for Nature Alliance was to motivate the people against cut-ting trees. Each family was using 4-5 kg firewood/day where one tree could provide about 140-150 kg/year. After emotional discussions with the vil-lagers, particularly the womenfolk, they agreed to go ahead with a biogas project to give them an alternative source of energy. A poultry farm was set up, shared between two or three neighbour-ing households to reduce the burden for a single family, and the poultry droppings used as a fuel.

2. The Environmental Education Programme is training villagers on the eco-friendly production and use of biogas, and is teaching them how to minimise their dependence on the forest. The pro-gramme is also raising awareness at environmen-tal fairs organised by academic institutions and community clubs, and holding occasional art and essay competitions for different age groups - par-ticularly on World Environment Day and World Habitat Day.

POLICY LINKAGES

In Bangladesh, action at the political level is also encouraging the use of biogas as an alternative fuel. The National Energy Policy (1996/2005) and the Renewable Energy Policy 2008 are a driving force for the development of renewable energy in the country (The Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh 2005, 2008). A number of biogas plants are being set up in different parts of the country under the National Domestic Biogas and Manure Programme (NDBMP) implemented by Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL, 2009) and its partners. This programme

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Putting poultry droppings into digester

was initiated by the Dutch development agency, SNV. However, the Institute for Fuel Research and Development (part of the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) has been the main actor to date for disseminating domestic biogas plants in the country (Alam, 2008). People can experience, and have their own, biogas stoves with the help of subsidies from NDBMP. In general, a total investment of Taka 25 000-30 000 (US$ 350) is needed for one plant which can produce almost 3 m3 gas and has a total plant volume of about 6 m3. NDBMP can provide Taka 7 500 (US$ 100) as an investment subsidy plus a fee of Taka 5,000 (US$ 70) per unit to the agencies responsible for construction and maintenance. The total investment subsidy is therefore around Taka 12 500 (US$ 170) for every biogas plant (Alam, 2008).

WHAT IS THE IMPACT?

In Shamalia, three families could save an average of 9-10 kg of firewood per day by using biogas. This is equivalent to each household not tak-ing firewood from about 10 trees a year , worth around Taka 5 000 (over US$ 65) per household/year (Ghimire, 2005). A second impact was better health being en-joyed by the women as a result of not cooking in a smoky environment. They also had cleaner kitchens as there was no more the soot from

Opportunity for new product use with low environmental impact: Cooking with biogas

we always had rules

not to cut trees. even

then we lost so many

trees from this forest because people

needed to survive – they need fire-

wood. this forest has been the only

source. however, if all villagers use

biogas, no-one will need to cut the

trees from the forest. this forest will

be saved.

(Abdur Rashid, guard at

the local forest office)

this project is changing

the lifestyle in the

homestead. now my

wife does not complain about irrita-

tions while cooking.

(Lutfar Chowdhury,

project beneficiary)

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REFERENCES

Alam, M. J. (2008). Biogas Energy for Rural Development: Opportunities, Challenges and Lacuna of Implementation. Presented at SESAM/ARTES South Asian Regional Workshop, Nepal. 19--23 May 2008. Accessed on 23 July 2011 from http://www.iim.uni-flensburg.de/sesam/upload/Asiana_Alumni/22.Biogas_Energy_for_Rural_Development-Alam.pdfAl-muyeed, A., and Shadullah, A. M. (2010). Electrification Through Biogas. The Daily Star: Forum (1).Ashekuzzaman, S. M., Badruzzaman, A. B. M., Rafiqul Hoque, A. T. M., and Rudra, S. (2010). Supplementing Energy Demand of Rural Households in Bangladesh through Appropriate Biogas Technology. Japan: Proceedings of International Conference on Environmental Aspects of Bangladesh (ICEAB10). Accessed on 1 August 2011 from http://www.binbd.com/benjp/iceab10/25.pdf Faisal, Nazmul Haque (2010). National Domestic Biogas and Manure Programme: Statue, Strategies and Challenges. Bangladesh Biogas Stakeholders Gathering. Bangladesh: IDCOL, SNV and KfW. Accessed on 2 August 2011 from http://www.scribd.com/doc/31663132/Bangladesh-the-Biogas-WayGhimire, P. C. (2005). Final Report on Technical Study of Biogas Plants Installed in Bangladesh. Accessed on 30 July 2011 from http://www.lged-rein.org/archive_file/newsletter_Final_Survey_Report_Bangladesh.pdf (The) Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh (2008, November 6). Renewal Energy Policy of Bangladesh (Final). Dhaka: Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. Accessed on 30 July 2011 from http://www.powerbangladesh.com/Renewable_Energy_Policy.pdf IdCOL (2009). National Domestic Biogas and Manure Programme: Implementation Plan 2010-12 (NDBMP IP 2010-12). Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), Bangladesh. Accessed on 22 July 2011 from http://www.idcol.org/Download/20100105%20Implementation%20Plan%202010_12%20NDBMP%20IDCOL1.pdf Islam, A. K. M. S., Islam, M. and Rahman, T. (2006). Effective Renewable Energy Activities in Bangladesh. Renewable Energy 31: 677-688.SA PPLPP (2009). Code: BDGP04: Lighting up Lives - Biogas from Poultry Litter as a Sustainable Energy Resource. Potential Good Practice Note. Delhi: South Asia Pro Poor Livestock Policy Programme (SA PPLPP).Saleque, Md. A. (No Year). Small scale Poultry Rearing: The Bangladesh Model. Accessed on 2 August 2011 from http://sapplpp.org/informationhub/files/poultry-workshop-presentations-pdf/05-Presentation-by-Dr-Saleque.pdf Sohel, Md. Shawkat Islam, Md. Parvez Rana, and Sayma Akhter (2010). Linking Biomass Fuel Consumption and Improve Cooking Stove: A Study from Bangladesh. http://www.worldenergy.org/documents/congresspapers/65.pdf The Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh (2005). The National Energy Policy (updated in 2005). Dhaka: Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. Accessed on 30 July 2011 from http://www.powercell.gov.bd/images/additional_images/NE%20(update)-Policy.doc Tuhin, Md. Mahmud Hasan (2005). “Environment friendly Biogas Plants”. Course Title: Agriculture and Environment (Course No: ES 2209). Khulna University, Khulna. http://www.scribd.com/doc/2057909/Environmental-Friendly-Biogas-plant-in-Bangladesh

burning wood. Cow dung as well as poultry drop-pings were used in the biogas digester thereby in-creasing the use of natural resources even further.The third benefit was through the establishment of the poultry farm: not only did the villagers’ consumption of protein go up, so did their poten-tial for generating income. Nature Alliance shows that by selling eggs and poultry birds, three families in Shamalia now each have an average income of Taka 2 000 (about US$30) per month after paying back the loan. This compares with an annual income of Taka 2,000-5,000 (US$30-75) for 80-90% of rural households keeping 3-10 birds in their backyards (Saleque, No Year). Around 10 000 households in Bangladesh have enjoyed both monetary and non-monetary ben-efits of biogas (SA PPLPP, 2009; Ashekuzzaman et al., 2010), with almost 3000 being poultry drop-ping based (Faisal, 2010).

WHAT NExT?

During 2011, Nature Alliance is in discussion with banks and other financial institutions to make seed money available for poultry farms and biogas digesters.

The target for NDBMP is to support the construction of over 37 000 quality biogas plants by 2012 (IDCOL, 2009); though there is a potential demand of up to 4 million (Al-muyeed & Shadullah, 2010; Islam et al, 2006).

Other stakeholders are getting involved. The Khulna University (Bangladesh), for example, has introduced an academic syllabus on environmentally friendly bio-gas plants under its Agriculture and Envi-ronment Course (ES 2209) (Tuhin, 2005).

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Governments can provide funds and techni-cal assistance to support initiatives by NGOs.TheenergyconservationcampaigninMalaysia,“SWITCH!”,isanexampleofanNGOeffortsup-portedbygovernmentandindustry.Theproject

opportunities For aFter-sales support

go beyond produCts to serviCesPolicies for ‘extended producer responsibility’(EPR) can address a general lack of after-salessupport and some forms of it have been re-ported for certain businessesin Thailand: Bangchak Petro-leum (Public) Company Ltd.has quality and environmen-tally friendly oil products toserve end-users and the envi-ronment; and BiodegradablePackaging for EnvironmentCo., Ltd. produces pulp table-ware products which are eco-friendly, chlorine free, non-toxic, biodegradable, and useno trees or forest products(Chotichanathawewong, NoYear). Voluntary agreementsorotherinitiativescanbeputin place to maximise the ef-fectiveness of customer sup-port services, such as customhandling or personal step-by-step guidance, and consumer

complaintcentres.Businessassociationscanen-courageandacknowledgebestpracticesbyrec-ognisingcompanieswithinnovativeafter-salessupport. The International Business Awardscommunity, for instance, presented the EpicorSoftware Corporation with the 2006 Stevie®Award for Best After Sales Support in America(seewww.stevieawards.com).

aimsatprovidingaplatformandservicestoim-prove transparency through interactive moni-toringofelectricityuseandbillingcharges,andeducatingthepubliconenergyusage(Box7).

box 7: the national energy awareness CaMpaign in Malaysia

The Federation of Malaysian Consumers As-sociations implemented a national campaign with schools, companies and the media to raise awareness on the importance of energy conser-vation. This campaign was also supported by the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology, and Water (KeTTHA), Energy Commission, Tenaga Nasional Berhad, and National Energy Centre.

More information: www.switch.org.my

Traffic congestion in India(Source: The Road to Change)

Interactive and transparent billing information

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‘how to disCard’

when the waste disposal systeM is insuFFiCient

Issuesrelatedtothischallengecanbeovercomeby leveraging Asian informal waste manage-mentsystems,andbyusingpreventativemeas-uresandpoliciesthathelpreduce,reuse,recycle,returnandrepairproducts.

tell ConsuMers how or where to disposeoF their wasteA product description can include instructionsfor a standard method of disposal. Consumerscanactaccordinglyandreducetheirimpactontheenvironment(Figure6).

look east!More advantage could be taken of the largeshare of the waste collection market taken bythe informal sector (Visvanathan and Kumar,2007). The sector could be institutionalised,withgovernmentsprovidingincentivestoscav-engers, middle-men, waste dealers, cottage orsmall-scalerecyclers. Business community including street ven-dors, can encourage biodegradable packagingtheAsianway.GreenbananaorbambooleavesarecommonlyusedinIndia,China,andthrough-out Asia to wrap food. Banana leaves are alsousedasdisposableplatestoservefoodtohelpreducethenon-degradablewaste,suchaspoly-styrene,whichhasbecomeaprobleminlandfill

sites. Households can be encouraged to man-agetheirownwaste,includingmakingcompostwiththeirkitchenwaste. NGOs can encourage the public and busi-nesstotapintotheuniquenessofAsianculturewhichmakeswideuseofnaturalproducts likebananaleavesorrattan.NGOscanalsoencour-ageconsumerstosellordonatetheirunwantedgoods,suchasclothesorbooks,orcanintroducethe concept of collaborative consumption – toshare,swap,barter,tradeorrentusedproducts(BotsmanandRogers,2011;Botsman,2011).Like-wise, buying second-hand goods from garage

Banana leaves as disposable plates embracing the Indian culture in Malaysia (Photo: Kyspeaks)

Making compost from kitchen waste in Sri Lanka (Photo: Premachandra, 2006)

26

Figure 6: The inter-national recycling symbol ISO 7000-1135 (the ‘Moebius Loop’). The symbol carries clear disposal instructions (Source: www.greenlead.com)

50

Case study:

philippines: shared responsibility For waste Means a healthier neighbourhood and a Cleaner lake laguna

T he people of Laguna Lake are compost-ing their waste, managing it, making mon-ey from it, and are healthier and wealthier

as a result. The lake, which is the largest in the country and sustains the livelihoods of so many local families, today is no longer a dumping site thanks to householders, businesses and local au-thorities joining forces to solve what had become a serious problem of waste disposal in this part of Calamba City (WEPA, No Year). Over 15,600 people live in the Palingon, Lingga and Sampiruhan ‘barangays’ (villages) of Calam-aba, collectively generating 142 tons of waste eve-ry day, or 0.6 kg per person (DA, 2005). In the past, the local authority had no real infrastructure to manage solid waste and garbage collection was erratic and poor, especially in the narrow streets of the innermost zones. However, in 2000 the government passed the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act requiring local governments to work with the private sector on service deliv-ery and to be responsible for the environmentally sustainable disposal of solid waste. A growing number of complaints from PaLiSam residents had been alarming the city authorities so the Department of Environmental and Natu-ral Resources decided to take the three districts as their fi rst site for developing a public-private partnership (PPP) for solid waste management. In 2002, households, local businesses and the UN Development Programme created a solid waste management plan and proposed establishing a

separate corporation to imple-ment it. In 2003, ‘PaLiSam MRF Inc.’ was set up and became the fi rst ever community-based PPP for waste management in the Philippines (DENR et al., 2003).

HOW dOES IT WORK?

PaLiSam MRF combines the principles and operations of both a corporation and a co-operative. It is wholly owned by the three barangays and is managed by the people’s rep-resentative of PaLiSam, a local business association, and the city government. Proceeds are used to sustain MRF operations and fund livelihood training for women in the area. The venture has revolutionised waste man-agement in PaLiSam by making it everyone’s responsibility. Residents have been taught about the hierarchy of waste management (See Figure 1) and how to segregate, compost, make money and dispose of waste, properly. It was not an easy process and required series of consultations and training courses with PaLiSam residents. Success was due to community leaders who championed the initiative and encouraged residents to take ‘ownership’ of the project (DENR et al., 2003).

POLICY LINKAGES

Policy-makers were involved in the project from the beginning and the project benefi ted from the support of the National Environmental Agency, which was responsible for the legislation.

‘Walk the talk’ - a councilor in Barangay Palingon shows us how he does segregation at home. “It’s easier to convince people to manage their waste if you’re doing it too. Nothing beats the strategy of talking from experience.”

‘Walk the talk’ – a councilor in Barangay Palingon shows us how he does segregation at home. “It’s easier to convince people to manage their waste if you’re doing it too. Nothing beats the strategy of talking from experience.”

The root word of PaLiSam is ’palis’, which in Filipino means to clean up completely. MRF

pronounced as ‘murf’ for materials recovery facility is a specialized infrastructure that receives, separates and prepares recyclable materials for marketing to end-user manu-facturers.

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The project feeds back into national policy. It became an example for other local govern-ments considering setting up a PPP as a way to manage waste problems, and it provided the national agency with an incu-bator for further developing and refi ning implementation of the environmental law gov-erning MRFs. Being able to do this substantially increases the potential for replication (UNDP & PPPUE, 2004).

WHAT IS THE IMPACT?

The PaLiSam project has been providing the three barangays with an uninterrupted waste man-agement service. It has diverted 34.6 tons of solid waste a month and saved the city government roughly US$ 2 200/month. Over fi ve years this could mean a saving of over US$ 130 000 (DA, 2005). Interestingly, the project has also helped to curb the increase of disease, which accompa-nies improper waste disposal, such as dengue fever, malaria, typhoid fever, amoebiasis, tuber-culosis, asthma, and skin disease in every quarter. A moderate estimate showed that this could

mean an annual direct saving of about US$ 20 000 in terms of medicines and lost productive days (DA, 2005). Overall, the project has helped to restore the Laguna de Bai and the long stretch of the bay adjacent to PaLiSam now has a popular baywalk (PIA, 2011).

Mr. Boy Oracion, a member of the NGO Kalikasan based in barangay Lingga, proudly shows off his segregated bins for non- biodegradable wastes which he made himself. ‘The first time I attended one of your lectures on waste management, I was totally convinced. At first, it was hard to persuade members of my family to segregate, reuse, and recycle. It took weeks of patience to constantly remind them. Today, it became a family affair.’

Mr. Boy Oracion, a member of the NGO Kalikasan based in barangay Lingga, proudly shows off his segregated bins (which he made himself) for non-biodegradable wastes.‘The first time I atten-ded one of your lectures on waste management, I was totally convinced. At first, it was hard to persuade members of my family to segregate, reuse, and recycle. It took weeks of patience to constantly remind them. Today, it has become a family affair.’

Figure 1: Hierarchy of Waste Management (Source: UNES-CAP/IGES, 2007)

REFERENCES

dA (2005). Policy Forum on ISWM: Facilitating Compliance with RA 9003. The Philippine Environmental Governance 2 Project. Development Alternatives, Inc. http://ecogovproject.denr.gov.ph/docs/EcoGov%202-TechRep/Policy%20Forum%20on%20ISWM%20Proceedings_FINAL.pdfdENR, UNdP and PPPUE (2003). Project Terminal Report The Public and Private Sectors Convergence for Solid Waste Governance in Urban Poor Communities Project in Calamba City, Philippines. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, United Nations Development Programme, Public Private Partnerships for the Urban Environment.PIA (2011). Feature: Calamba ‘BAYWALK’, a Tourist Attraction and a Source Of Livelihood. Philippine Information Agency. http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=CAL&id=21568&y=2011&mo=03UNdP and PPPUE (2004). Global Lessons Learned in PPPUE Local Level Initiatives in Support of Pro-Poor Partnerships for Basic Urban Service Provision. United Nations Development Programme, Public Private Partnerships for the Urban Environment. http://www.undp.org/pppsd/fi les/Lessons%20Learnt%20new.pdfWEPA (No Year). Pubic and Private Sectors Convergence for Solid Waste Co-governance in Urban Poor Communities in Calamba City. Water Environment Partnership in Asia. Accessed in August 2011: http://www.wepa-db.net/policies/cases/philippines.htm

Prevention

Minimisation

Reuse

Recycling and energy recovery

Disposal

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dabbawalla in Mumbai with tiffin lunch boxes (Photo: Wikipedia)

share,swap,barter,tradeorrentusedproducts(BotsmanandRogers,2011;Botsman,2011).Like-wise, buying second-hand goods from garagesalesisagreatwaytobuynewclothesandpayless. One of the fundraising initiatives of theHimakas-Binuligay-Uswag Association Inc. inCabatuan, Iloilo, in the Philippines, is to collectsecond-handclothes,bags, toysandotherusa-bleitems,andsellthemontothepooratafford-ableprices inorder tosupport itsprojects (seewww.hbu-inc.webs.com).

bring your own and use More than onCeVarious countries in Asia have begun to adoptthis concept. Many supermarkets in Malaysia,Indonesia, andThailand, for instance, have putthis into practice and some have charged con-sumersforusingplasticbags. Mumbai Dabbawalla is a successful localbusinessmodelthathasgainedrecognitionforitsefficientserviceandoperation.Lunchboxesor‘tiffins’areusedmorethanonceforcarryinganddeliveringhomecookedfood. In 2008, the city of Pampanga in the Philip-pineslaunchedacampaigntorevivetheuseof‘bayong’toreplacetheuseofplasticbags(Pena,

2008).Bayongisasimplehand-wovenflatbas-ketmadefrompalm,pandanorseagrassleaves,andiscommonlyusedinthePhilippinesbytheolder generation for household grocery shop-ping.

weed out the probleMsIn2007,expatriatesandlocalpeopleconcernedabout thefastbuild-upofplasticwaste inBalilaunchedaconsumer-levelwastereductionini-tiative.The campaign called‘Say No to Plastic’or‘BaliCantikTanpaPlastic’promptedretailersinUbudtostartofferingaffordablealternativestoplasticshoppingbags.Theybegantoeducatetheircustomersabouttheproblemofplasticbyreducingthenumberofsingle-useplasticbagstheygaveoutandbyencouragingthemtobringor reuse their own bags (www.plasticfreebali.org).

Governments can impose a ban on the use ofspecificsubstancesorproductsorban thedis-posal of certain items, such as tyres or plasticcontainers, at solid waste facilities. They couldalso impose charges for using high-impactproducts. In Bangladesh, poly-bags have beenbannedsince2002,whichhastriggeredanotheropportunity for a more sustainable replace-ment.Jutebagsarenowcreatinganotherhighpotentialgreendemand(Box8).

Night market in Chiangmai, Thailand

‘Bayong’ for shopping in the Philippines(Image: Earth Every Day)

Encouraging re-use of plastic bags

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box 8: ban on plastiC boosts deMand For jute business in bangladesh

Bangladesh used to have 9.3 million plastic bags dumped in the city every day, with only 10-15% ending up in dustbins. In 2002, it be-came one of the first countries to ban plastic bags, with China following in 2008 (AFP, 2010). The ban promotes diversified jute products in Bangladesh which have immense potential for growth in the domestic market:• an estimated increase of around 300 percent in prices from Taka 20 crore to Taka 60 crore brings profits and benefits to producers • greater use of jute bags by boutiques and the retail industry enables consumers to practice ethical choices

ExPONENTIAL GROWTH FOR ECO-FRIENdLY JUTE BAGSA study conducted by Innovision Consulting Pri-vate Ltd on 40 institutional buyers concluded that Jute Diversified Products (JDP) of Bangla-desh have immense potential for growth in the domestic market. With more than 60 percent market share, the jute bag is the top selling JDP in the local and global markets. The strong international demand for jute bags is attributed to a growing corporate interest in environmentally friendly products. (Source: Innovision, 2011 and Saha, 2011)

taking baCk More waste

Take-backcampaignscanbecarriedoutbycom-paniestoencourageconsumerstoactivelyman-age thedisposalofwaste thatotherwiseendsup in landfills. Nokia-India encourages mobile

phoneuserstodisposeoftheirusedhand-setsandaccessories,suchaschargersandhandsets, regardless of the brand, at anyoftherecyclingbinssetupatNokiaPrior-ity Dealers and Nokia Care Centres (IndiaTimes,2008).Take-backsystemscouldbe

madeobligatoryforcertainproducts.Anexam-ple of this could be thermometers, where themercuryisnotonlyharmfulasawastebutcaneasilybereused.Otherexamplesincludeend-of-lifevehiclesandwasteelectricalandelectronicequipment(WEEE)(Akenjietal.,2011).

E-waste is a mounting problem in Asia (Photo: Jones, 2010)

“Take-back systems

could be made

obligatory for

certain products”

E-waste piling up fast

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46

Case study:

india: environMentally sound ManageMent oF eleCtroniC waste

OPPORTUNITIES FOR INFORMAL SECTOR STIMULATEd BY RECYCLING LEGISLATION

Recycling has always been a core activity for Mr. Shashi Bhushan. He has a 2000-strong network of e-waste collectors based in Delhi and has built up a close relationship with his customers – local authorities, ministries and a wide range of com-panies - over the last 20 years. Mr Bhushan’s col-lectors buy e-waste at auctions in great quanti-ties, and either refurbish it or dismantle it and sell on the components to different buyers. Although he was not running a registered business, his sat-isfied customers were paying up to five times the going price for his material; and they also provid-ed pick-up assistance. One and a half years ago, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee declared that public depart-ments could only sell e-waste to registered e-waste recyclers. This was the push that Mr. Bhush-an needed to mobilise his network and encourage them to become members of the E-Waste Harit Recyclers Welfare Association (e-HRWA). This gives them both legal status and a helping hand in be-ing able to adopt environmentally friendly prac-tices, which they will do at their new location. This is one of many entrepreneurial stories from India relating to waste collection and the recycling chain. The rapid growth of electrical in-

dustries and obsolete electrical goods is continu-ally generating more waste and bringing with it major disposal challenges. Around 486 000 tons of e-waste (computers, mobile phones and televi-sions) are generated; 95% of which goes through the informal channels of backyard, home and cot-tage industry recyclers (Chaturvedi et al., 2007). When informal workers handle e-waste it is of-ten harmful to both themselves and to the envi-ronment. Emissions from the material, unhealthy dismantling and smelting units, makeshift facili-ties not meeting occupational health and safety standards but being used for toxic waste, unsort-ed e-waste openly dumped, are all commonplace.To improve the overall situation and formalise operations a SWITCH-Asia project, Establishing E-Waste Channels to Enhance Environment Friend-ly Recycling (WEEE Recycle), lead by GIZ Advisory Services and Environment Management (ASEM), is improving the management systems for e-waste streams and handling.

Mr. Shashi Bhushan, leader of the Informal Sector Association in delhi shares his experience with the SWITCH-Asia Network Facility during a visit to an informal recycling unit in delhi, India.

Informal and formal recycling units – before and after

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TALKING TO ALL STAKEHOLdERS

The partners of WEEE Recycle work closely with community leaders, in four different cities, to re-duce the amount of waste going through infor-mal channels. In these four cities, namely Delhi, Bangalore, Pune and Kolkata, GIZ along with the other project partners is helping informal waste collectors organise themselves into formal asso-ciations, to link up with more formal sectors by promoting environmentally sound management (ESM), and to send more e-waste to registered re-cyclers. Figure 1 shows the formalisation processes. In each of the four cities a different service provider is taking the lead for initiating and supporting the process, including building capacity for the transition. Courses show participants how to look for new opportunities, and how to remove toxic waste and recover precious metals. Basic, advanced (once the organisation is registered), and refresher courses (on demand) are available.

Capacity building is also being provided for gov-ernment officials, including that for a stakeholder dialogue leading to formation of Core Groups that develop City Level e-waste Action Plans, for example in Pune and Delhi. Consumers of elec-trical goods are an important target group of the project as they sit at the beginning of the e-waste management chain. The project organises awareness-raising workshops and campaigns to encourage them to use proper collection points and to direct e-waste towards formal channels. For example, in all the four project cities, the project organises an e-waste calendar campaign in schools, places collection bins in local govern-ment buildings, and is planning to start a public campaign with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. They hope that with more knowledge and know-how about where to dispose of their e-waste, consumer action will ultimately lead the way towards an inclusive, formalised recycling sector. Eventually, informal recyclers will no longer have access to supplies and will have to formalise in or-der to remain viable.

Figure 1: Formalisation process for informal e-waste recycling in India

• Building trust• Choosing community leaders• Making a Busi- ness case and trainings

Formalization process including verification and trainings

Acquiring certificate to establish

Acquiring certificate to operate

Acquiring registration certificate as a recycler

Operating as informal e-waste recyclers

Gaining new legal status as a registered association• Private Limited Company• Society • Cooperative

Obtaining authoriza-tion from Pollution Control Board and gaining the status of registered recycler

Service Provider• Registrar of Companies according to Section 25 of the Companies Act 1956 / (Pvt Ltd.) under the Companies Act 1956 or the Factory Act 1948• Registrar of Societies according to the Societies Registration Act, 1860• Registrar of Co-operative Societies under the Co- operative Societies Act, 1912

State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee• Consent for both operation and for establishment

State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee• Consent for Establishment• Consent for Operations and authorization • Registration as Recyclers (only for those engaged in Dismantling and Recycling of e-waste) as per the E-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011 issued by the Ministry of Environ- ment and Forests

Stat

us o

f rec

ycle

rsSt

eps

Lead

ing

stak

ehol

der

Formalization of informal electronic waste recycling in four Indian cities

Operating as formal e-waste recyclers

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PRACTICAL BENEFITS FROM INVOLVING POLICY-MAKERS

Having a strong policy framework creates a com-pelling business case for informal recyclers, and motivates consumers to take action, so it is es-sential for the formalisation of the e-waste recycling sector. In 2008, there was a multi-stakeholder consul-tation on policy. The process followed GIZ guide-lines for creating policy, which were focussed largely on hazardous waste and its management. During consultation the stakeholders wanted a separate e-waste rule that would be compre-hensive and based on the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). The final E-waste Management and Handling Rules were noti-fied by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in May 2011 and would become effective from May 2012. GIZ has also been preparing guidelines for ef-fective implementation of the e-waste rules that would enter into force in May 2012. It will cover requirements for all stakeholders associated with the handling of electrical electronic equipment and e-waste (producers, private consumers, bulk consumers, recyclers etc.), how to enact policy, and expectations. The law will address all stake-holders and their roles and responsibilities in safe collection and disposal of e-waste. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs supports the project, particularly because of its planned aware-ness-raising campaign using electronic media. In

the future, following the project, a toolkit could be developed for the eco-design of electronic products, in collaboration with the Department of Information Technology of the Government of India. The government’s pollution control boards and committees, such as the Delhi Pollution Con-trol Committee, implement most legal and policy mechanisms. They provide “information-based instruments” such as guidelines for the safe dis-posal of e-waste for newly registered associa-tions, and rely on projects such as WEEE Recycle to help make consumers use formal recyclers. The policy instruments all aim at fostering extended producer responsibility (EPR).

WHAT IS THE IMPACT?

The WEEE Recycle goal is that 25% of the e-waste generated in the four cities is managed by the for-malized informal sector associations in an envi-ronment friendly manner. Given this overall goal, the project has many target groups that could be affected, as shown in Table 1.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) means that the producerstake responsibility for their pro-

ducts from cradle to grave, and therefore, should develop products that have improved performance throughout all stages of the product life cycle. At each stage of the life cycle, opportunities for improved perform-ance exist.

i

E-waste collection bin (including the information on pick-up service) at the delhi State Ministry

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InlinewiththeEUWEEEDirective,theChinesegovernment is preparing legislation that willoblige producers to take back and recycle end-of-life mobile phones (Draft of ManagementRegulationsonRecyclingandDisposalofWasteand Used Household Electrical Appliances). Ontopofthis,policy-makerscanintroducea‘recy-cling report card’ to grade take-back and recy-cling programmes for problematic solid waste(suchasplasticsandelectronicgoods,includingTV,computers,etc).InVietnam,thegovernmenthassetstrategic3Rofficialtargets(Box9).Thiswillletgovernmentandotherinterestedinves-

torsdevelopsystemsandfacilitiesforrecyclingandtreatingsolidwastecomingfromurbanar-easandindustry(Nguyen,2009).

box 9: ‘how to disCard’: vietnaM sets oFFiCial 3r targets

The Vietnam National Strategy on Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Target by 2020 (Draft) encapsulates the following national goals:• Collection rate for solid waste: 95%• Solid waste disposal: 40% of collection amount• Reuse and recycle rate: 60%• Reduction of waste generation(Source: Nguyen,2009)

REFERENCES

Chaturvedi, A., Arora, R., Khatter, V., and Kaur, J. (2007). E-waste Assessment in India – Specific Focus on Delhi. MAIT-GTZ studySWITCH-Asia (2011). WEEE Recycle Project visit notes 14-15 June 2011, DelhiSWITCH-Asia (2010). Project progress sheet: Establishing e-waste channels to enhance environment friendly recycling www.switch-asia.eu/switch-projects/project-progress/projects-on-improving-production/e-waste-recycling-weee-recycle.html Personal communication on policy consultation process with Dr. Lakshmi Raghupathy on 14 June 2011, DelhiPersonal Communication on policy makers in consultation process with Dr. Lakshmi Raghupathy on 15 June 2011, Delhi

iMpaCttarget group

• 6 companies with roots in informal sector registered • Two companies, one society received licence from Pollution Control Board• 7 000 waste pickers organised in Pune for e-waste collection • Waste processed by informal sector aimed to reduce from 95% to 65%• 14 training workshops for capacity building and awareness raising conducted

• E-Waste (M&H) Rules 2011 entering into force in May 2012• 3 Central Ministries and four State Governments involved in planning and implementation• 15 e-waste collection bins installed at state government offices in Delhi as physical infrastructure to improve channelization of e-waste • Collection Centres established at various residential areas and technology parks • Household collection drives initiated in residential areas• Series of awareness workshops for different stakeholders organised

• 250 000 households receiving professional doorstep collection from informal sector associations • Publication of policy papers, conference papers on mainstreaming informal sector into formal e-waste channels and e-waste policy formulation process in India• Catalogue of e-waste products published for informing stakeholders• Establishing contacts with different establishments for outreach and mass awareness• Establishment of e-waste collection centres in four cities

• Consultations on implementation of EPR and RoHS• Strategies for integration of the formal sector and the informal sector associations• Audits conducted for the two companies in Bangalore by producers as a predecessor

Producers/Informal waste recyclers

Policy-makers and government

Consumers

Producers/Manufacturers

Table 1: Project impact on target groups

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aCtions in asia – laying a path to sustainable ConsuMption

some movers and shakers in sustainableconsumption in Asia have been makingnotablecontributionstomainstreamsus-

tainableconsumptionandtohelpmakeitawayoflife.Someongoingprogrammesorinitiativeshave been developed, adopted and replicated

successfully,andcanbeusedasreferencesandguides for developing and customising othersustainableconsumptionprogrammes(Table2).In Table 2, orange refers to ‘what and how to buy’,greento‘how to use’,andpurpleto‘how to discard’.

Table 2: Tailor to suit – some sustainable consumption initiatives in Asia

Workshop series on education for sustainable consumption

Promotion of fair trade

Members of the Earth Charter Initiative provide capacity building to relevant stake-holders through East Asia Workshops on Education for Sustainable Consumption and Sustainable Lifestyles in China, Japan and Republic of Korea.

Fair Trade Forum - India (FTF-I) is the national network for Fair Trade in India that enables more than 100000 grassroots level Fair Trade producers including artisans and farmers to improve their businesses through greater en-gagement with the Fair Trade. FTF-I represents WFTO (World Fair Trade Organisation), the global network for Fair Trade, in India. FTF-I also promotes sustainable consumption and fair services with special emphasis on develop-ing domestic market for Fair Trade in India. The major projects being taken up by FTF-I at present include ‘ProSustain: Promoting Fair Trade and Sustainable Consumption in India’ , ‘FairConnect’ to build up wider alliance for Fair Trade and ‘Fair Trade Cotton – Developing Fair Trade Supply Chain in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka’.

www.earthcharterinaction.org

www.fairtradeforum.org

who and whatthe initiatives More details

ngo

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The domestic Fair Trade initiative

Green Purchasing

Access to markets for the poor producers

IRFT (International Resources for Fairer Trade) in Mumbai, with the support from Hivos Bangalore, carried out the initial consumer study to strategise for launching Fair Trade products in the domestic market. The study pointed out that communicating Fair Trade to consumers would be easier if they are asked to shop for change. Hence, IRFT/Hivos co-promoted the Shop for Change, a not-for-profit company. Their major initiatives, under the SWITCH-Asia Pro-Sustain Project, have focused on college outreach, communica-tions and corporate procurement as most of the corporate head offices are located in Mumbai (the main business hub of India).

The Green Purchasing Network Malaysia is an NGO with portal services that allows users to search its knowledgebase for eco-products, green technologies, guidelines, green practices and upcoming green events in Malaysia and the region.

Hivos’ main work areas are civil society building and green entrepreneurship. The knowledge programme on “small producers agency in globalised markets” looks at the changing nature of markets due to global integration of markets, its implications on the choices available to the small producers and their ability to respond to the changes (www.hivos.com).

www.irft.org

www.gpnm.org/e

www.hivos.net

who and whatthe initiatives More details

Education syllabus for sustainable consumption

Consumers International advocates for consumer education in relation to sustain-able consumption and productions inclu-ding creating knowledge, values and skills to empower individuals and social groups to become actors of change towards more sus-tainable ways of living. With the Partnership for Education and Research about Responsi-ble Living (PERL) they also work on inclusion of SCP in formal curriculum. www.consumersinternational.org

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who and whatthe initiatives More details

Alternative transport B2W is a community-based initiative re-garded as the most high-profi le alternative transportation group in Indonesia. Founded in 2004 by a small pool of workers, now has more than 45,000 members in several Indo-nesian cities and becomes more and more. http://b2w-indonesia.or.id

Closing the loop

Bringing green energy home

Corporate into green action

XSProject is a non-profi t organization based in Jakarta, Indonesia that supports trash pickers and their families by transforming non-recyclable waste into unique products. Proceeds from the sales are used to provide educational opportunities for the children in trash picker communities. In addition, XS-Project purchases some of its raw materials directly from trash pickers, providing them with additional revenue streams.

Grameen Shakti, a member of the Grameen family, was incorporated in 1996 as a not-for-profi t company to promote, develop, and popularise renewable energy technologies in the remote rural areas of Bangladesh.

The Philippine Business for the Environ-ment (PBE) helps spread knowledge and best practices; and builds synergy among business and with other stakeholders to cre-ate solutions to urban problems. Among its initiatives are the Industry Waste Exchange Program, Recyclables Collection Schemes, Green Business with Green Procurement and Eco-Products Fairs.

http://hoopfund.com/brand.webui?id=128

www.gshakti.org

www.pbe.org.ph

Green-handling of consumer complaints

The Consumers Association of India has a service whereby consumers can fi le their grievances against companies via mobile phone across India, “from any place, any time”. This helps to reduce travel miles and makes fi ling complaints easier (and paperless). www.caiindia.org/download.aspx

trash transformedlives changed

PROJECT

business

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Green hospitality

Regional forum on sustainability

The Greening Sri Lanka Hotels Project is a multi-stakeholder initiative, involving 350 hotels with the objective of reducing energy and water consumption, as well as waste generation by 20% respectively by enhancing sustainable consuption practices. The initia-tive is implemented through the partnership of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and the European Commission, with the support of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka. The other partners to the project are the Travel Foundation UK, Sustainable Energy Authority Sri Lanka, Institute of Environmen-tal Professionals Sri Lanka and Responsible Tourism Partnership Sri Lanka.

The Asia Pacific Roundtable for SustainableConsumption and Production is a multi-stakeholder facility for the promotion of sustainable consumption and cleaner production in the region with implementing partners including UNIDO, UNEP, UN ESCAP, SWITCH-Asia, and the scientific community.

www.greeningsrilankahotels.org

www.aprscp.net

who and whatthe initiatives More details

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Bringing businesses with communities and environment

The Philippine Business for Social Progress is a corporate-led foundation that unites businesses and works with the communities to enhance the impact of the business sec-tor’s contribution in poverty reduction and environmental sustainability.

www.pbsp.org.ph

Green communication services

Catalyze Communications in Bali, Indonesia, is a consulting agency that provides commu-nication and marketing services to environ-mental non-profits and green-oriented busi- nesses in Indonesia and the Asia-Pacific region.

www.catalyzecommunications.com

38

governMent

Smart consumption exhibition

The Macau Consumer Council organised a photo exhibition on ’smart consumption’ and a talk show on tips for buying real estate property, as part of a series of events and activities, as advocated by Consumers International.

www.consumer.gov.mo/e/default.asp

SAVE Programme

Consumer empowerment

The Ministry of Energy, Green Technologyand Water in Malaysia introduced the Sustainability Achieved via Energy Efficiency (SAVE) to improve energy efficiency and at the same time encourage sales of energy ef-ficient appliances by providing rebates of up to RM200 to qualified consumers purchasing 5-star electrical appliances.

The Consumer Advisory Network links consumer advice centres, state consumer help lines, and voluntary consumer organisa-tions in different states in India. The network provides pre-purchase information, post-purchase advice and also offers ‘next-step advice’ for resolution or redress.

www.saveenergy.gov.my

www.consumeradvice.in

who and whatthe initiatives More details

39

Bringing green energy Infrastructure Development Company Limited(IDCOL) provided technical and financial support for promotion of renewal energy technologies especially solar home system and domestic biogas in Bangladesh with the financial support from the World Bank, Global Environment Facility, KFW, GIZ, Asian Develop-ment Bank and Islamic Development Bank.

www.idcol.org

inter-governMental organisation

37

Sustainable consumption guidelines

Advisory Services in Environmental Management (ASEM)

Consumer Protection and Product Safety Programme

The World Bank Group has carried out a large-scale residential energy efficiency programme promoting the use of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in more than 20 countries since 1994, with the aim of redu-cing energy use, easing peak demands, miti-gating environmental impacts, and easing the energy cost burden to consumers.

A joint programme of the Deutsche Gesell-schaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH and the Indian Ministry of Environ-ment and Forests, ASEM enhances protection of the environment and natural resources in urban and industrial areas and promotes sustainable consumer behaviour.

A programme of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in China, commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), works closely with Chinese government agencies, consumer organisations and enterprises to promote conscious consumption and sustainable consumer behaviour, by providing innovative and easy access consumer information.

www.asemindia.com

www.unescap.org/esd/energy/publications/psec/index.htm

www.consumerptrotection-productsafety.org

who and whatthe initiatives More details

40

Energy Sector Management Assistance Program

The World Bank Group has carried out a large-scale residential energy efficiency programme promoting the use of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in more than 20 countries since 1994, with the aim of reducing energy use, easing peak demands, mitigating environ-mental impacts, and easing the energy cost burden to consumers.

www.esmap.org/esmap

36

box 10: CoMprehensive eFFiCienCy poliCies in the three deMand areas oF ConsuMption

UNESCAP workshops on Green Growth Policy Tools for Low Carbon Development have been carried out in various countries including Thai-land, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Bang-ladesh to help all stakeholders understand poli-cy responses for fostering a green economy and low-carbon development in housing, transport and food sectors (www.greengrowth.org).

HOUSING In the housing sector, the main environmental impact is from water and energy consump-

tion. In most developing countries, lighting is the most important domestic use of electricity. As such, energy efficiency programmes whose purpose is to save energy, and sustainable con-sumption education programmes to enhance knowledge and choices, should be integrated. Eco-cities and green building programmes or policies can help improve the efficient use of en-ergy in both residential and commercial sectors, among other sustainability and environmental goals. Building Index Labels can be made man-datory for new construction for both commer-cial and housing to further support multiplica-tion and replication of sustainable consumption practices.

TRANSPORT Inclusive and comprehensive fuel economy programmes should be made accessible and

affordable to all consumers. A comprehensive transport development plan should cover all modes (truck, car, motorcycle, bus, train, etc.) for both passengers and freight. Low-carbon trans-

port options, including efficient public trans-port and motor-less travelling, should be ef-fectively integrated. An increase in demand for the use of private cars should trigger a manda-tory policy for the use of fuel-efficient models or ‘green cars’. Incentives, such as financing and product subsidies, should make them accessible and affordable. Policies should encourage and develop efficient public transport systems, and could be coupled with others that discourage the use of private transport in an effort to re-duce congestion.

FOOd SECTORMandatory eco-labelling for food products should provide specific environmental impact

information that could affect consumer behav-iour and the decisions they make at the point of purchase. Carbon footprints, water foot-prints and other ethical information should be made available. Apart from environmental information such as whether food is organic or conventionally farmed, and the source of origin, consumers also base their decisions on other factors such as affordability, quality, product information, and convenience, etc.

CountriesinAsiacanintegrateandadoptvariouspoliciesandtoolsforsustainableconsumptioninhousing,transportandfoodsector(Box10).

41

(Photo: CETDEM)

35

wrapping up: sustainable ConsuMption For asia

Traffic around Phnom Penh, Cambodia

sustainableconsumptionwillhelp tocre-ate a low-carbon economy with zerowaste where all consumer products and

servicesarecreated,purchased,used,andrecy-cledordisposedofinaclosedloopmodel(WEF,2009).This isnot far froma traditionalwayoflifeinAsiawhereconsumersarecloselyandcul-turallylinkedwithnature. It is difficult for consumers to change theirbehaviour without concurrent change in theworldsofpolicy-making,manufacturing,retail-ing and the non-profit sector where concernabouttheimpactwearehavingontheenviron-ment can catalyse sustainable consumption.Eightvaluesareimportantforthesechangestooccur in any organisation. Below we ask eight

relatedquestions tohelpguide leaders ingov-ernment,businessandcivilsocietywhowanttohelp consumers be able to make environmen-tallysounddecisions.

Nurturing sustainable consumption around culture, tradition and religion in Asia

Are you

visible?• Address ethical product/services availability, accessibility and affordability• Identify targeted consumers• Enhance ethical supply chain within local network• Enhance purchasing of ethical and green products

• UNEP (2005)• Jackson (2008)• Climate Cool et al (2009)• Phillips & Rowley (2011) • Laroche, Bergeron & Barbaro-Forleo (2011)

• WBCSD (2008)• CI (2010)• Futerra (2010)• Dibb (No Year) • FTC (No Year)

• Address credibility of ethical trade• Address accessibility of information on ethical products and services• Put in place consumer friendly labelling systems• Practice the 3 Cs of communication - clarity, credibility and comparability• Engage consumers

what to look into8 key Questions guide

Are you

transparent?

42

Table 3: Eight Questions to Green Actions – driving consumers towards sustainable consumption

34

• Li (1997)• Petruschke, Kotakorpi & Coles (2010)• Knights (2000)• 1MPB Portal• Mega Carpool• Finkbeiner (2008) • Hicks & Hovenden (2010)• Consumer Focus (2009)

• The United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection (UNCTAD, 2001)• The Consumer Ombudsman (2009)• CI (2010)

• Address consumer awareness and education on ethical and green products/services and sustainable consumption• Address consumer understanding of low-impact products and services • Support knowledge building with materials, information sheets, and guides on eco-friendly usage or operation of products and services• Provide interactive platform for communication

• Address relevant consumer and environmental protection laws and regulations • Address issues of ethical trade

• Provide incentives and support for sustainable consumption • Embrace sustainability based social and cultural norms in Asia • Understand local consumption habits and patterns through collective action • Provide alternatives and make sustainable lifestyles easy • Recognise local ecological boundaries of Asian cultures and communities

• GTZ (1995)• Yoshizawa, Tanaka &. Shekdar (2006)• Petruschke, Kotakorpi & Coles (2010)• Schrempf & Palazzo (2010) • Groezinger & Tunçer (2010) • EIU (2011) • Dibb (No Year)

• Greening Public Procurement in Urban Administrations in China• Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization • Green Purchasing Net- work Malaysia• Pairoj-Bariboon (No Year)• GTZ et al (2006)• Wolff & Schönherr (2011)• WEF (2011)

• Lead by example • Keep ahead and innovative • Demonstrate the benefits of sustainable consumption • Leverage on Life Cycle Management • Enable innovation in public policy

what to look into8 key Questions guide

Are you

leading?

Are you

building?

Are you

protecting?

43

Are you

nurturing?

33

Are you

accepting?• Address take-back mechanisms • Provide complaint handling mechanisms • Extended producer responsibility• Address barriers to public-private partnership

• Petruschke, Kotakorpi & Coles (2010)• Hansen, McKinnon & Watson (2010) • Yoshizawa, Tanaka &. Shekdar (2006)• WEF (2011)

• Visvanathan & Kumar (2007)• Akenji et al. (2011)• WRAP-UK• WEF (2009)• CSCP (2009)• WEF (2011)

• Address product reuse, reduce, recycle, repair and return • Move from life cycle assessment to life cycle collaboration• Provide appropriate label with information on how-to-discard • Establish partnership (cross-sector) with relevant stakeholders

what to look into8 key Questions guide

Are you

looping?

44

taking the leap:5 steps to sustainable ConsuMption

get to know: Understandtheconsumptionscenarioanddilemma(WEF,2011).Followstep-by-stepguidanceonanevaluationprocessonpolicyimpact(WolffandSchönherr,2011).

step 1

get aCQuainted: Allrelevantstakeholders,particularlytheconsumersareeducatedandinformedofavailableoptionsandavailableinfrastructureformakingsustainableconsumptionastheirwayoflife.

step 2

get engaged: thatconsumerbehavioursandlocalconsumptionpatterns(individual,social,material)areincludedinmakinggreenlivingpolicy(PhillipsandRowley,2011;Southertonetal.,2011;Finkbeiner,2008).

step 3

get set: thatenvironmentisencouraging,enabling,engagingandexemplifyingsustainableconsumption(CSCP,2009).

step 4

go! Greenandethicalproductsarevisible,available,accessibleandaffordabletoconsumers.

step 5Figure 7: The Steps towards Sustainable Consumption

321545

get aCQuainted: Allrelevantstakeholders,particularlytheconsumersareeducatedandinformedofavailableoptionsandavailableinfrastructureformakingsustainableconsumptionastheirwayoflife.

get set: thatenvironmentisencouraging,enabling,engagingandexemplifyingsustainableconsumption(CSCP,2009).

go! Greenandethicalproductsarevisible,available,accessibleandaffordabletoconsumers.

FroM sustainable ConsuMption towards sustainable liFestyles

Moving from sustainable consump-tion to more sustainable lifestyles requires involvement of us all – from Government, Business and civil society organisations. We need to create the conditions for us all – as consumers and citizens – to be able to move towards a better quality life based on sustainable lifestyles, rights and responsibilities.

Bjarne Pedersen, Consumers International (London)

In Asia there is a tension between the flash-cash emerging consumer class and the pockets of poverty that still dog city neighborhoods and entire villages. This dichotomy of existence makes it hard to balance policies for the common objective of sustainable consumption for a society of polarised lifestyles. Regional leaders say they need economic growth to lift people out of poverty, and, indeed, have achieved that to a huge extent. Yet the per capita bio-capacity of the region is so low that nothing short of a strict diet of natural resource use would guarantee future development. Would Asia find well-being for its people and grandchildren by growing out of its rich traditions and cultures of community-centered living, closeness to nature, sharing, and respect for the elderly? Good news is there are signs. Bhutan is talking of Gross National Happiness, Thailand prefers a Sufficiency Economy ...

Lewis Akenji, IGES (Tokyo)

The countries in the Asian region especially China and India have been witnessing a reasonable and sustained growth in economy. However, unless the growth is inclusive we will all be vulnerable to unrests and crime in their different manifestations. It is expected that, through market inclusion, small-scale producers can survive and prosper in the face of the major changes in ag-riculture and food markets that the current globalised lifestyles have ushered in. It is necessary to tread a growth path that is fair for all and sustainable, preserving and conserving our socio-cultural identities.

Muralidharan Thykat, Hivos (Bangalore)

the debate of sustainable consumptionhas been recently shifting from main-streaming sustainable products to ena-

blingsustainablewaysofliving.Theframingofsustainable consumption in the SWITCH-AsiaProgrammehasaproductlifecycleperspectiveandmainlyfocusesonpurchasing,useanddis-posalofproductssustainably. Leadershipopin-ionnowconveysthatadeeperengagementwithconsumers beyond the point of purchase andpre-salescommunicationcanbemoreeffective.

This would mean re-conceptualization of theconsumerasacitizeni.e.notdisintegratingin-dividualconsumersfromsocietyasawholebutseeingthemaspartoftheircommunities(WEF,2011). Hence concepts of products and servicesforsustainablelivingneedtofundamentallyfo-cusonthecoreneedsofcommunities,contributetosocietalwell-beingandconsciouslyavoidfos-teringconsumeristvalues. Someofourreviewerssharedtheirperspec-tiveswithusasfinalwordsforthisbooklet.China and India may be considered the economic super-powers of the future

but they have a large population living in poverty. In India some 400 million are still considered poor. In the last 15 years or so, India has managed to lift 200 million people out of poverty and these have now joined the middle class. Unlike China, India’s population is also very young. Combined together, it is inevitable that aggregate consumption is going to rise in the future. Chan-neling consumption towards greater sustainability is the only option. Choice editing will not work; instead a combination of measures such as sensitization of school-going children, improved public infrastructure and fiscal measures is needed. But if a wish-list for sustainability were made, perhaps on top of the list would be a champion for sustainable living – perhaps a return of the Mahatma.

Rajan R. Gandhi, Society in Action Group (Gurgaon)

The Asian consumer class – especially in China and India – is the fastest growing consumer class worthwhile in numbers and purchasing power and thereby driving the continuous growth in (basic and luxury) consumer goods even in periods of global financial crisis. The growth of these consumers from low to middle / high class spenders with identical materialistic and consumerist values as in Western countries has taken place very rapidly. Can we deny them these values? No. But at the same time we also have to realize that the world cannot bear the required resource consumption for it. Therefore it is a huge challenge to address consumerist values, also in Asia – that not consist any more only of poor people. ‘More people in China have at a present a mobile phone than having adequate sanitation!’Frans Verspeek, SWITCH-Asia Network Facility (Wuppertal)

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1MPB(1MalaysiaSmartConsumer)Portal.http://www.1Pengguna.comAllRecyclingFacts.http://www.all-recycling-facts.com/eco-label.htmlCETDEMhttp://www.cetdem.org.my/wordpressDiodesIncorporated.http://www.diodes.com/datasheets/ap02006.pdfEarthEveryDay.http://www.eartheveryday.org/2008/11/reusable-bag-in-philippines.html EUWEEEDirective.http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/weee/index_en.htm FarmerandNatureNet.http://www.agro-info.netGreenGrowth.http://www.greengrowth.orgGreenLead.http://greenlead.com GreenPurchasingNetworkMalaysia.http://www.gpnm.org Himakas-Binuligay-UswagAssociationInc.http://hbu-inc.webs.com HuaiHeeVillage. http://huaiheevillage.blogspot.com/2008/09/what-is-jorkoe-ecotrek.htmlInternationalBusinessAwards.http://www.stevieawards.com/pubs/iba/awards/171_2084_13684.cfm Kyspeaks.http://kyspeaks.com MegaCarpool.http://www.megacarpool.comPlastic-freeBali.http://www.plasticfreebali.org ShopForChange.http://shopforchange.in ThaiOrganicFarm(‚RaiPluk-Rak‘). http://www.thaiorganicfood.comThailandGreenhouseGasManagementOrganizationhttp://www.tgo.or.th/english TheDepartmentofConsumersAffairs,GovermentofWestBengal.http://wbconsumers.gov.in/index.aspx TheNationalConsumerHelplineIndia.http://www.nationalconsumerhelpline.in TheRoadToChange.http://theroadtochangeindia.wordpress.com/tag/indian-roads VINASTAS(Vietnam).http://www.nguoitieudung.com.vn/home/?act=Home Wikipedia.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mumbai_Dabbawala_or_Tiffin_Wallahs-_200,000_ Tiffin_Boxes_Delivered_Per_Day.jpg WRAP-UK.http://www.wrap.org.uk

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